Shutdown at San Onofre
Repairs will probably continue through the weekend on one of two functioning reactors at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station that was shut down late Friday because of an electrical malfunction, officials said.
David M. Barron, a spokesman for Southern California Edison, said plant operators noticed the problem midday on Friday and began a gradual slowdown of Unit 2. By 9:28 p.m., he said, the 1,100 megawatt unit in Camp Pendleton in Northern San Diego County was at rest.
“It’s not an emergency. There’s no unusual problem with it,” Barron said. Edison electricians went into the unit’s containment dome to inspect the malfunctioning motor on Saturday, he said.
“It could be a minor thing and they can get the unit right back up or it could take a couple of days.”
Even if the problem continues, Barron said, there will not be a power shortage because both Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric have sufficient reserves.
Unit 1 has been shut down since last June, when it began months of internal repairs and refueling. Barron said it is expected to be back in service early next year. Unit 3, another 1,100 megawatt generator, continues to operate at full power, he said.
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