Warm Weather, Water Shuts Down CT Nuclear Plant

July saw some record heat across the United States, but just how hot was it?  Well, it turns out it was hot enough in the Northeast that one power plant has been shut down because there isn’t enough cold seawater.

FOX News Radio’s Chris Hoenig explains:

The cooling water…not cool enough at Connecticut’s Millstone Power Station, forcing Dominion Power to take the nuclear plant’s Reactor Unit Two off-line.

(Hunt) “It’s above 75 degrees, which is our limit at Unit Two to operate, so we’ve shut down.”

That water is taken from Long Island Sound, but a record July has pushed the water in the Sound up near 77 degrees.  It’s the first time since Unit Two opened in 1975 that the cooling water is too hot for operations, and Dominion spokesman Ken Hunt says they will keep it off until Mother Nature says so.

(Hunt) “It was safely shut down over the weekend, and we’re maintaining it in a safe condition.”

Millstone provides power for half of the state of Connecticut.

Chris Hoenig, FOX News Radio.