Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant Restarted After Repairs Completed

LACEY TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — The nation's oldest operating nuclear power plant is once again working at full power.

The Oyster Creek plant in Lacey Township resumed normal operations Saturday. That came nearly a week after it went offline after an electrical issue occurred in a system that regulates steam used to turn the plant's turbines.

After repairs were completed, technicians inspected and tested the electrical system before returning the unit to service.

Oyster Creek is located about 60 miles east of Philadelphia. It generates enough electricity to power 600,000 homes, or roughly all the homes in Monmouth and Ocean counties combined.

Oyster Creek is due to close permanently in 2019. The plant agreed to shut down in return for not being required to build costly cooling towers that would minimize the impact on fish and other marine life in the creek.