Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station


Beaver Valley Power Station is a nuclear power plant on the Ohio River covering near Shippingport, Pennsylvania, United States, roughly northwest of Pittsburgh. The plant is operated by Vistra Corp and power is generated by two Westinghouse pressurized water reactors. As of 2023, it is the fourth largest employer in Beaver County.
Beaver Valley 1 was used as the reference design for the French nuclear plant in Fessenheim.
In 2018, the previous owner FirstEnergy Solutions filed for bankruptcy and announced the plant would begin deactivation by 2021. However, upon emergence from bankruptcy in 2020 as new owner Energy Harbor, the shutdown of the plant was reversed largely due to then Governor Tom Wolf's decision to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Energy Harbor and the power plant were acquired by Vistra Corp in 2024.

Surrounding population

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission defines two emergency planning zones around nuclear power plants: a plume exposure pathway zone with a radius of, concerned primarily with exposure to, and inhalation of, airborne radioactive contamination, and an ingestion pathway zone of about, concerned primarily with ingestion of food and liquid contaminated by radioactivity.
The 2010 U.S. population within of Beaver Valley was 114,514, a decrease of 6.6 percent in a decade, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data for msnbc.com. The 2010 U.S. population within was 3,140,766, a decrease of 3.7 percent since 2000. Cities within 50 miles include Pittsburgh.

Seismic risk

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's estimate of the risk each year of an earthquake intense enough to cause core damage to the reactor at Beaver Valley was Reactor 1: 1 in 20,833; Reactor 2: 1 in 45,455, according to an NRC study published in August 2010.

Electricity production

YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnual
20011,231,0131,102,5161,166,836950,4191,233,9171,121,4621,217,7581,198,702591,6491,025,3471,142,6731,196,94413,179,236
20021,251,304608,2401,153,1871,145,4731,184,8051,192,2721,221,3481,225,8021,154,5331,249,381965,6721,242,68813,594,705
20031,255,9791,055,681697,138603,3731,170,2401,166,6131,236,0251,231,773827,308934,5181,176,6071,263,84312,619,098
20041,251,6571,177,9421,220,3781,188,6121,225,3201,201,0241,220,7721,235,0051,195,867952,187864,3971,260,21813,993,379
20051,255,5761,090,1581,199,215668,9121,207,9871,191,2841,219,2731,223,4961,194,1501,248,4521,213,0071,258,80213,970,312
20061,254,947792,833624,592697,8321,186,0481,191,4461,220,3241,113,2041,172,583653,918944,8441,282,74012,135,311
20071,285,8531,154,0541,261,4401,279,5761,308,7721,224,7961,300,7021,281,5511,075,003757,1421,281,4421,330,53314,540,864
20081,328,3811,211,3751,313,801911,269792,5011,284,2691,326,5771,333,6791,256,5591,245,8611,310,9121,355,95214,671,136
20091,357,8861,216,0231,354,5861,037,877861,3011,294,6491,335,1551,322,1021,297,394900,693689,6641,344,11514,011,445
20101,357,3531,225,0851,353,7521,247,0131,345,0761,290,4461,326,1401,311,5591,294,561678,6791,215,3211,348,57914,993,564
20111,358,2201,223,500794,430945,1821,380,8441,292,8831,322,9721,333,6291,297,7091,353,6371,314,5861,359,03014,976,622
20121,359,4481,272,1321,344,520808,6921,161,7991,292,9391,268,4121,329,8041,110,623671,6371,262,5461,377,60414,260,156
20131,375,3941,178,6301,377,8001,322,9461,269,9061,100,1181,342,4371,348,4371,262,925685,8821,116,4531,398,37514,779,303
2014844,8651,243,0561,395,3771,047,970844,7751,321,4561,364,5241,364,8781,328,8881,252,3141,351,2311,397,97214,757,306
20151,398,2931,261,6721,391,5291,037,656829,2601,269,9251,364,0821,366,4991,174,970703,5611,346,4731,393,85214,537,772
20161,397,6751,094,9831,389,3781,344,2361,377,0251,299,1331,345,4881,347,3021,072,007805,8671,349,7771,396,70315,219,574
20171,394,3001,257,2821,381,3411,064,573899,5971,314,7501,349,9081,357,2331,320,5331,373,2541,207,8541,390,88215,311,507
20181,381,7561,252,6021,380,710949,3951,132,1381,290,4251,260,7961,254,2161,294,6481,049,0571,014,3191,393,39414,653,456
20191,393,3661,256,2031,380,5321,320,7611,366,2441,306,7621,344,2441,353,5681,257,007874,8581,210,5061,392,41915,456,470
20201,391,7321,302,6731,340,253857,9861,206,4581,310,1201,208,5931,363,6031,313,6741,372,3071,338,5121,387,48215,393,393
20211,391,3291,254,4531,374,763862,9251,075,6091,300,6471,352,1211,348,3841,308,693781,423949,7601,381,28914,381,396
20221,387,9281,252,1031,379,4421,333,9661,360,796955,8571,320,3531,348,0941,314,936845,831862,9521,387,76914,750,027
20231,387,0431,251,4491,370,780831,678849,2941,318,2441,350,9511,355,9431,229,1981,337,0871,343,3391,387,44715,012,453
20241,386,8961,298,4441,312,902930,638849,7571,295,6181,351,1191,354,0731,319,363952,1101,020,8601,389,04514,460,825
20251,390,8091,168,8651,376,1251,327,7711,347,4511,300,4841,334,8341,351,8181,322,379922,810851,279--