Xcel Energy Power Plant Restored To Full Power

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Xcel Energy's Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant is up and running again, about three weeks after an unscheduled shutdown.

The Minneapolis utility said Tuesday the plant is back up to full power.

The plant's nuclear reactor shut down automatically on Nov. 19, the third unscheduled shutdown reported at the Monticello plant this year. During the outage, workers made a number of repairs and modifications.

The utility says all safety systems worked as designed when the plant shut down and throughout the outage. It says the situation posed no danger to the public or to plant workers

The 600-megawatt plant is about 40 miles northwest of Minneapolis. It generates enough electricity to power nearly 500,000 homes.

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