Air conditioners and fans are not running at full tilt – and officials at Bruce Power in Tiverton are feeling the effects.
The nuclear generating station has shut down a reactor at the request of the Independent Electricity Market Operator – because it has too much power – and not enough demand.
Media Spokesperson Steve Cannon says because of a cooler than normal summer, combined with the fall out of a manufacturing industry hit by the recession, Bruce Power has a surplus.
Cannon says Unit 8 – a 795 mega watt reactor – was taken offline earlier this week and will be off for at least a few more days.
He will only says the shut down is short term and won’t offer when it will be back on line – because the information – being of commericial nature – can be traded.
Cannon says this is only the second time in the history of the company this has happened – the first – being in June of THIS year for similar reasons.
Cannon says it’s not something they like to do – because nuclear plants are designed to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week and this adds stress to the system.
He says the shut down of the unit doesn’t change anything at the plant shift wise or job wise.
All of the other active units at Bruce Power remain online and available for service.