Dresden 3
Online · 92% powerConstellation Energy·Morris, IL·BWR·895 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.
92%
Power
REDUCED POWER
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Days of continuous operation since the last outage ended. Ranked against all operating units.
196
Current Run
days
#38 of 95
Mid Quartile
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Longest recorded period of continuous operation between outages.
737
Record Run
days
#10 of 95
Top Quartile
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Breaker-to-Breaker runs — continuous operation exceeding the cycle-adjusted threshold (631 days for this 24-month cycle unit) with no trips to 0% power.
2
B2B Runs
#73 of 86
Bottom 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.
93.4%
Capacity Factor
#12 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.
15.13 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.
1
Scrams
#2 of 94
Top Quartile
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Years since commercial operation began. License remaining: 24.2 years.
54.9
Operating Age
years
24.2 yrs remaining
Excellence Score, Records & Plant Facts
Breaker-to-Breaker Runs 2 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.
Dresden 3 has logged 2 breaker-to-breaker runs, continuous stretches from one refueling to the next with no trip to zero power. Its longest ran 717 days, and its runs average 715 days.
717
Best Run (days)
D3R21 (2010-11-26) → D3R22 (2012-11-12)
715
Avg Run (days)
All Runs
| 2016-11-17 | 2018-10-30 | 712 days | D3R24 → D3R25 |
| 2010-11-26 | 2012-11-12 | 717 days | D3R21 → D3R22 |
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: Dresden Generating Station.
Dresden Generating Station is a three-unit nuclear plant in Goose Lake Township, Grundy County, Illinois, near Morris, where the Des Plaines and Kankakee rivers meet to form the Illinois River.
Read more
Commonwealth Edison contracted with General Electric in 1955 for Dresden 1, which began construction on May 1, 1956, and is described as the first privately financed nuclear power plant built in the United States. It was first connected to the grid on April 15, 1960, and permanently shut down on October 31, 1978. Dresden 2 began construction on January 10, 1966, and Dresden 3 on October 14, 1966. Unit 2 was connected to the grid on April 13, 1970, and Unit 3 on July 22, 1971. Both are boiling water reactors.
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.
Dresden 3 has operated for about 54.9 years and averaged a 93.4% lifetime capacity factor, generating roughly 201.1 TWh of electricity. Its longest unbroken run reached 737 days.
Lifecycle & Tenure
Operating Age: 54.9 Yrs
Build Time: 5.1 Yrs
Lic. Remaining: 24.2 Yrs
Production & Power
Lifetime CF: 93.4%
Efficiency: 30.3%
Generated: 201.1 TWh
Reliability & Outages
Record Run: 737 Days
Refuelings: 14
Avg Startup: 4.2 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
NasdaqGS
$253.45
▼ -1.76 (-0.69%)
Previous Close
255.21
Day's Range
247.25 – 256.79
52-Week Range
228.63 – 406.04
Volume
2,888,283
Delayed quote as of Oct 23, 2026 4:00 PM ET.
Source: Yahoo Finance.
Full quote on Yahoo Finance
Operational Excellence Score Subscribers
Dresden 3 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 1 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.
Dresden 3 has recorded 1 reactor scram, or emergency shutdown, since 2011 (1 automatic, 0 manual). On average the unit was back to full power about 19 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:
BWR
Containment:
BWR-MARK 1
NSS Supplier:
GE 3
Turbine Supplier:
GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. IAEA
Thermal Power:
2957 MWt
Net Capacity:
895 MWe
Gross Capacity:
935 MWe IAEA
Design Capacity:
794 MWe IAEA
Efficiency:
30.3%
Status:
Operating
Lifetime Output:
300.0 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 #:
05000249
License #:
DPR-25
License Type:
OL-FP
Const. Permit:
1966-10-14
Construction Start:
1966-10-14 IAEA
Operating Lic:
1971-01-12
First Criticality:
1971-01-12 IAEA
Grid Connection:
1971-07-22 IAEA
Commercial Op:
1971-11-16
License Renewed:
2025-12-16
License Exp:
2051-01-12
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