Braidwood 1
Online · 100% powerConstellation Energy·Braceville, IL·PWR·1,183 MWe
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Composite Operational Excellence Score (0-100) — average percentile rank across 7 dimensions in three sub-scores: Reliability (capacity factor, forced outage days, B2B avg streak), Efficiency (fuel utilization, refuel duration), and Discipline (startup duration, scram count). 5-year window. Higher = more operationally excellent. Click to see the full breakdown.
Excellence
Rank locked · 93 units
Subscribers
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Current reactor power level from the most recent NRC daily report.
100%
Power
ONLINE
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Days of continuous operation since the last outage ended. Ranked against all operating units.
374
Current Run
days
#11 of 95
Top Quartile
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Longest recorded period of continuous operation between outages.
551
Record Run
days
#60 of 95
Mid Quartile
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Breaker-to-Breaker runs — continuous operation exceeding the cycle-adjusted threshold (468 days for this 18-month cycle unit) with no trips to 0% power.
13
B2B Runs
79% toward B2B (372/468d)
#2 of 86
Top Quartile
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Lifetime capacity factor: average power level across all recorded days (100% = always at full power). Ranked against all NRC-tracked units.
95.1%
Capacity Factor
#1 of 95
Top Quartile
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Net electricity actually generated over the most recent 12 months reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (Form EIA-923), summed across every unit at this plant. These are authoritative actuals, not an estimate.
19.62 TWh
Net Generation
EIA-923 · 12 mo to 2026-07 · plant total
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Total NRC-reported scram events (emergency reactor shutdowns). Ranked fleet-wide — fewer scrams = better rank.
6
Scrams
#31 of 94
Mid Quartile
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Years since commercial operation began. License remaining: 20 years.
38.3
Operating Age
years
20 yrs remaining
Excellence Score, Records & Plant Facts
Breaker-to-Breaker Runs 13 runs
Breaker-to-breaker runs measure continuous operation between refueling outages using a cycle-adjusted threshold (90% of cycle length minus RFO duration). An active streak means the unit has been running continuously since the last refueling with no trips to 0% power.
Braidwood 1 has logged 13 breaker-to-breaker runs, continuous stretches from one refueling to the next with no trip to zero power. Its longest ran 550 days, and its runs average 520 days.
550
Best Run (days)
A1R9 (2001-10-12) → A1R10 (2003-04-15)
520
Avg Run (days)
★ 9-run breaker-to-breaker
A1R15 → A1R16 → A1R17 → A1R18 → A1R19 → A1R20 → A1R21 → A1R22 → A1R23 → A1R24
All Runs
| 2022-10-21 | 2024-04-15 | 542 days | A1R23 → A1R24 |
| 2021-06-22 | 2022-10-03 | 468 days | A1R22 → A1R23 |
| 2019-10-23 | 2021-04-05 | 530 days | A1R21 → A1R22 |
| 2018-06-06 | 2019-10-07 | 488 days | A1R20 → A1R21 |
| 2016-10-25 | 2018-04-09 | 531 days | A1R19 → A1R20 |
| 2015-04-18 | 2016-09-26 | 527 days | A1R18 → A1R19 |
| 2013-10-01 | 2015-03-30 | 545 days | A1R17 → A1R18 |
| 2012-05-20 | 2013-09-09 | 477 days | A1R16 → A1R17 |
| 2010-11-06 | 2012-04-16 | 527 days | A1R15 → A1R16 |
| 2007-10-26 | 2009-03-30 | 521 days | A1R13 → A1R14 |
| 2003-05-02 | 2004-10-05 | 522 days | A1R10 → A1R11 |
| 2001-10-12 | 2003-04-15 | 550 days | A1R9 → A1R10 |
| 2000-04-06 | 2001-09-22 | 534 days | A1R8 → A1R9 |
About This Site
Written by NukeWorker from public records: facts that do not change. Operator, status and capacity come from the live data elsewhere on this page. Sources: Wikipedia: Braidwood Nuclear Generating Station.
Braidwood Nuclear Generating Station is a two-unit nuclear plant in Reed Township, Will County, Illinois, near Braceville. It is cooled by Braidwood Lake, an artificial lake kept topped up by pumping from the Kankakee River.
Read more
Commonwealth Edison began construction on August 1, 1975. The plant has two Westinghouse four-loop pressurized water reactors. Unit 1 was first connected to the grid on July 12, 1987, and Unit 2 on May 25, 1988. In 2006, Will County residents and the state's attorney sued Exelon over tritium released into local water in violation of its permit.
Facility Statistics
Key performance and lifecycle metrics calculated from NRC operational data. Includes operating age, construction timeline, capacity factor, efficiency, generation totals, and reliability records.
Braidwood 1 has operated for about 38.3 years and averaged a 95.1% lifetime capacity factor, generating roughly 276.8 TWh of electricity. Its longest unbroken run reached 551 days.
Lifecycle & Tenure
Operating Age: 38.3 Yrs
Build Time: 12.6 Yrs
Lic. Remaining: 20 Yrs
Production & Power
Lifetime CF: 95.1%
Efficiency: 32.5%
Generated: 276.8 TWh
Reliability & Outages
Record Run: 551 Days
Refuelings: 18
Avg Startup: 4.4 Days
Ownership & Construction
The utility or company that owns and operates the facility, the architect-engineer responsible for plant design, and the primary construction contractor. Click names to view all facilities by that entity on the map.
Ownership, operation and management history
| Date | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 20, 2000 | Merger | Commonwealth Edison (Unicom) | Exelon |
| Feb 1, 2022 | Spin-off | Exelon | Constellation Energy |
CEG
Constellation Energy Corporation
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Operational Excellence Score Subscribers
Braidwood 1 is rated 0 to 100 on how well it actually runs, scored against every other operating reactor in the US fleet from its own operating record. Subscribers see the score, the three sub-scores behind it, and each of the seven measured inputs.
- This unit's composite score and fleet rank
- Reliability, Efficiency and Discipline sub-scores
- All seven measured inputs, with fleet percentiles
- Rank against comparable units, not just the fleet
- Three-year, five-year and lifetime windows
- Five-year trend, and every other operating US reactor
Included with every outage subscription and with NukeWorker Gold membership. Trading the outage rather than working it? The same record, cut by power market, is on NukeGryd.
Scram History 6 events since 2011
Automatic and manual reactor scram (emergency shutdown) events reported to the NRC since 2011. Includes event dates, trip type, and average recovery time. Click the title to view the full fleet scram dashboard.
Braidwood 1 has recorded 6 reactor scrams, or emergency shutdowns, since 2011 (5 automatic, 1 manual). On average the unit was back to full power about 8.2 days after each trip.
Technical Specs
Reactor design specifications including type (PWR/BWR), containment design, nuclear steam supply system manufacturer, thermal and electrical power ratings, and current operational status.
Reactor Type:
PWR
Containment:
PWR-DRYAMB
NSS Supplier:
WEST 4LP
Turbine Supplier:
WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION IAEA
Thermal Power:
3645 MWt
Net Capacity:
1183 MWe
Gross Capacity:
1,270 MWe IAEA
Design Capacity:
1,120 MWe IAEA
Efficiency:
32.5%
Status:
Operating
Lifetime Output:
343.0 TWh through 2025 IAEA
Licensing
NRC licensing history including docket number, license type and number, construction permit date, operating license issuance, commercial operation date, license renewal, and expiration date.
Docket #:
05000456
License #:
NPF-72
License Type:
OL-FP
Const. Permit:
1975-12-31
Construction Start:
1975-08-01 IAEA
Operating Lic:
1987-07-02
First Criticality:
1987-05-29 IAEA
Grid Connection:
1987-07-12 IAEA
Commercial Op:
1988-07-29
License Renewed:
2016-01-27
License Exp:
2046-10-17
Market & Region
EIA market and grid-region classifications: NERC reliability region, U.S. Census region, balancing authority responsible for grid operations, and whether the unit operates as a rate-regulated utility or a competitive merchant generator. Hover any value for the full name.
NERC Region:
RFC
— Reliability First Corporation
Census Region:
ENC
— East North Central
Balancing Authority:
PJM
— PJM Interconnection (ISO/RTO)
Market Structure:
Merchant
— Competitive generator selling into wholesale markets