Indian Point’s unit 3 power plant shut down automatically Monday, Oct. 29 at 10:41 p.m. due to an electrical grid disturbance, the nuclear energy center announced this morning.
According to a press release, the electrical disturbance caused the unit’s main generator and reactor to shut down as designed, with no damage to equipment, no release of radioactivity and no threat to public safety or workers at the Buchanan energy center.
“If the generator has no place to send its power, it shuts down automatically and by design to protect itself from electrical damage,”  said Jerry Nappi, communications manager at Entergy/Indian Point Energy Center, in an email. “It is not clear what caused the electrical disturbance offsite,”  he said, adding that river level and wind did not impact plant operation last night.
Unit 3 was continuously generating electricity for 201 days before last night’s shutdown.
Indian Point’s other power plant, unit 2, is currently operating at full power and has been for the past 146 days.
“We anticipate being able to bring unit 3 back online within 2-3 days,” Nappi said.
Editor’s note: Updated 3:08 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30.
