THE NUCLEAR AGE Through the years

Here is a time line of significant events at the nuclear power plant in Shippingport, Pa., over the last 54 years:

1953: The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission awards Westinghouse Electric Corp. a contract to design a nuclear plant for electric utility use as part of President Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” program.

1954: Duquesne Light Co. is selected on the basis of competitive proposals to design and construct the non-nuclear portion of the station and to operate the entire station.

Sept. 6, 1954: Ground is broken for the Shippingport Atomic Power Station (SAPS) by President Eisenhower using a remote control device to start a bulldozer to move the first dirt.

October 1957: The first nuclear core is lowered into place.

Dec. 2, 1957: The SAPS reactor achieves initial criticality.

Dec. 18, 1957: Electricity is first sent to the Pittsburgh area.

Dec. 23, 1957: Full power of 68 megawatts is achieved.

May 26, 1958: SAPS is officially dedicated with a ceremony attended by national and international dignitaries.

1964: SAPS installs a second nuclear reactor core.

April 30, 1965: The second core is placed in service and electrical generation is increased from 68 megawatts to 100 megawatts.

February 1974: The second core is shut down.

1976: Another nuclear reactor is built, which is still in service.

As part of the federal government’s efforts to expand the nation’s sources of energy, it is decided that a light water breeder reactor (LWBR) core under development and fabrication will be the third reactor core for SAPS. A breeder reactor is one that creates more fissionable nuclear fuel than it consumes.

Dec. 2, 1977: President Carter orders the LWBR to 100 percent power.

Oct. 1, 1982: SAPS is permanently removed from service.

1987: A second nuclear unit is constructed and it, along with the 1976 unit, currently provides electric power to the national grid.

1984 to 1989: The decommissioning of SAPS takes place. It is the first decommissioning of a nuclear power plant and is overseen by the Department of Energy. The SAPS site is restored to a natural state, safe enough to be used for any purpose in the future.

December 1999: FirstEnergy Corp. acquires Beaver Valley Units 1 and 2 (and the SAPS site) from Duquesne Light Company.

Source: FirstEnergy Corp.