Nuclear Industry's Safety, Operating Performance Remained Top-Notch in '08, WANO Indicators Show

WASHINGTON, DC, Mar 27 (MARKET WIRE) --
The nation's nuclear power plants last year operated at the high
efficiency levels that have cemented their role as the nation's most
reliable electricity source, and they did so while plant employees
demonstrated a continued commitment to safety and operational excellence.
Performance indicators compiled by the World Association of Nuclear
Operators reflect the industry's continued high levels of performance in
2008.

WANO found that the U.S. nuclear industry's median unit capability factor
in 2008 was 91.1 percent. That is the ninth consecutive year that unit
capability factor -- a measure of a plant's on-line production time --
topped 91 percent. A related metric, capacity factor, a measure of total
power generated as a percentage of design production, also stood at 91.1
percent in 2008, according to preliminary data compiled by the Nuclear
Energy Institute. (See this chart for capacity factors dating back to
1971:
http://www.nei.org/resourcesandstats/documentlibrary/reliableandaffordableenergy
graphicsandcharts/usnuclearindustrycapacityfactors/).

This electric industry-leading reliability enabled the nation's 104
nuclear power plants to produce approximately 805.7 billion
kilowatt-hours of electricity last year. Overall, nuclear power plants
operating in 31 states provide one-fifth of U.S. electricity supplies;
they provide nearly 75 percent of the nation's electricity generation
that comes from carbon-free sources, including hydroelectric power plants
and renewable technologies.

Proving the nexus between excellent safety and operating performance, the
U.S. nuclear industry sustained high levels of achievement in safety
performance, industrial safety, unplanned automatic reactor shutdowns and
programs to protect workers from radiation exposure.

"The excellent operating and safety performance reflected in these
indicators demonstrates that the nuclear energy industry and the thousands
of dedicated men and women who work at our energy facilities have an
unwavering commitment to safety," said Marvin Fertel, NEI president and
chief executive officer.

"Safe, reliable operation drives public and political confidence in the
industry, and provides a solid platform for license renewal of existing
power plants and construction of advanced-design reactors," Fertel said.

The performance data compiled by WANO is analyzed by the Atlanta-based
Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, which promotes excellence in U.S.
nuclear power plant safety and operations. INPO uses the data to help set
challenging benchmarks of excellence against which safety and plant
operation can be measured. Other highlights of the nuclear energy
industry's performance in 2008 include:

Unplanned Automatic Reactor Shutdowns. The 2008 median industry value of
0.41 unplanned automatic shutdowns per plant equaled the record low set in
2007 and was 18 percent better than the 2010 median goal of 0.5 unplanned
shutdowns per 7,000 hours of reactor operation.

Safety System Performance. For the 11th straight year, 96 percent or more
of key safety systems met industry goals for availability. In 2008, 96
percent of the key safety systems met their availability goals. Nuclear
power plants are built with redundant safety systems and backup power
supplies so these systems are available, if needed, even when maintenance
is being performed on a similar system or component. The three key standby
safety systems are two main cooling systems and back-up power supplies
used to respond in the event of unusual situations.

Forced Capability Loss Rate. The 2008 median value of 1.3 percent
capability loss reflects consistent excellent performance in nuclear plant
operations since 2000. In the mid-1990s, the median value exceeded five
percent; but has been under two percent each year since 2000 and under 1.5
percent for four consecutive years. Forced capability loss rate measures a
plant's outage time and power reductions that result from unplanned
equipment failures, human error or other conditions when the plant is
expected to be generating electricity. The 2010 goal for this indicator is
a median value of one percent.

Industrial Safety. The nuclear industry is one of the nation's safest
working environments. U.S. nuclear plants continued to post a low
industrial accident rate in 2008 with only 0.13 industrial accidents per
200,000 worker-hours. Statistics from other industries through 2007, as
compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, show that it is safer to work
at a nuclear power plant than in the manufacturing sector and even the
real estate and financial sectors.

To view charts of the WANO performance indicators for U.S. nuclear power
plants on NEI's Web site, go to:
http://www.nei.org/resourcesandstats/documentlibrary/safetyandsecurity/reports/w
noperformanceindicators_08.

The Nuclear Energy Institute is the nuclear energy industry's policy
organization. This news release and additional information about nuclear
energy are available at www@nei.org.

Contact:
NEI's media relations staff
202.739.8000 during business hours
703.644.8805 after hours and weekends

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