LaSalle County Nuclear Generating Station
LaSalle County Nuclear Generating Station, located in Brookfield Township, LaSalle County, Illinois, near Marseilles, 11 miles (18 km) southeast of Ottawa, serves Chicago and Northern Illinois with electricity. The plant is owned and operated by Constellation Energy following separation from Exelon Corporation in 2022. Its Units 1 and 2 began commercial operation in October 1982, and October 1984, respectively.
| LaSalle County Nuclear Generating Station | |
|---|---|
LaSalle County Nuclear Generating Station NRC Image | |
| Official name | LaSalle County Generating Station |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Brookfield Township, LaSalle County, near Marseilles, Illinois |
| Coordinates | 41°14′44″N 88°40′9″W |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | September 10, 1973 |
| Commission date | Unit 1: October 20, 1982 Unit 2: October 19, 1984 |
| Owner(s) | Constellation Energy |
| Operator(s) | Constellation Energy |
| Nuclear power station | |
| Reactor type | BWR |
| Reactor supplier | General Electric |
| Cooling source | LaSalle Lake |
| Thermal capacity | 2 × 3546 MWth |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 1 × 1137 MW 1 × 1140 MW |
| Make and model | BWR-5 (Mark 2 Containment) |
| Nameplate capacity | 2277 MW |
| Capacity factor | 94.79% (2017) 79.25% (lifetime) |
| Annual net output | 18,908 GWh (2017) |
| External links | |
| Website | LaSalle County Nuclear Generating Station |
It has two General Electric boiling water reactors. LaSalle's Unit 1 and Unit 2 together produce 2,320 megawatts, which is enough electricity for the needs of 2.3 million American homes. Instead of cooling towers, the station has a 2,058-acre (833 ha) man-made cooling lake, which is also a popular fishery — LaSalle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area — managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.