Browns Ferry 1
Online · 100% powerTennessee Valley Authority·Athens, AL·BWR·1,256 MWe
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Composite Operational Excellence Score (0-100) — average percentile rank across 7 dimensions in three sub-scores: Reliability (capacity factor, forced outage days, B2B avg streak), Efficiency (fuel utilization, refuel duration), and Discipline (startup duration, scram count). 5-year window. Higher = more operationally excellent. Click to see the full breakdown.
Excellence
Rank locked · 93 units
Subscribers
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Current reactor power level from the most recent NRC daily report.
100%
Power
ONLINE
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Days of continuous operation since the last outage ended. Ranked against all operating units.
10
Current Run
days
#74 of 95
Bottom Quartile
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Longest recorded period of continuous operation between outages.
715
Record Run
days
#31 of 95
Mid Quartile
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Breaker-to-Breaker runs — continuous operation exceeding the cycle-adjusted threshold (620 days for this 24-month cycle unit) with no trips to 0% power.
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B2B Runs
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Lifetime capacity factor: average power level across all recorded days (100% = always at full power). Ranked against all NRC-tracked units.
63.2%
Capacity Factor
#95 of 95
Bottom Quartile
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Net electricity actually generated over the most recent 12 months reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (Form EIA-923), summed across every unit at this plant. These are authoritative actuals, not an estimate.
30.98 TWh
Net Generation
EIA-923 · 12 mo to 2026-07 · plant total
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Total NRC-reported scram events (emergency reactor shutdowns). Ranked fleet-wide — fewer scrams = better rank.
8
Scrams
#63 of 94
Mid Quartile
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Years since commercial operation began. License remaining: 27.2 years.
52.2
Operating Age
years
27.2 yrs remaining
Excellence Score, Records & Plant Facts
About This Site
Written by NukeWorker from public records: facts that do not change. Operator, status and capacity come from the live data elsewhere on this page. Sources: Wikipedia: Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant.
Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant is a three-unit nuclear station on the north bank of Wheeler Lake, part of the Tennessee River, in Limestone County, Alabama, between Athens and Decatur. The Tennessee Valley Authority built it with three General Electric BWR-4 boiling water reactors.
Read more
TVA approved the plant on June 17, 1966, and construction began in 1967. Units 1, 2 and 3 were first connected to the grid in 1973, 1974 and 1976. On March 22, 1975, a fire started by a candle used to check for air leaks damaged reactor control cabling. TVA shut down all three units in March 1985 to address regulatory concerns. Unit 2 resumed in 1991, Unit 3 in 1995 and Unit 1 in 2007.
Facility Statistics
Key performance and lifecycle metrics calculated from NRC operational data. Includes operating age, construction timeline, capacity factor, efficiency, generation totals, and reliability records.
Browns Ferry 1 has operated for about 52.2 years and averaged a 63.2% lifetime capacity factor, generating roughly 179.5 TWh of electricity. Its longest unbroken run reached 715 days.
Lifecycle & Tenure
Operating Age: 52.2 Yrs
Build Time: 7.2 Yrs
Lic. Remaining: 27.2 Yrs
Production & Power
Lifetime CF: 63.2%
Efficiency: 31.8%
Generated: 179.5 TWh
Reliability & Outages
Record Run: 715 Days
Refuelings: 10
Avg Startup: 13.9 Days
Ownership & Construction
The utility or company that owns and operates the facility, the architect-engineer responsible for plant design, and the primary construction contractor. Click names to view all facilities by that entity on the map.
Ownership, operation and management history
No change of owner, operator or management company on record. Our history starts in 1999.
Publicly Traded
No — Federal corporation with no common equity. Its listed TVC/TVE securities are power bonds, not stock.
Operational Excellence Score Subscribers
Browns Ferry 1 is rated 0 to 100 on how well it actually runs, scored against every other operating reactor in the US fleet from its own operating record. Subscribers see the score, the three sub-scores behind it, and each of the seven measured inputs.
- This unit's composite score and fleet rank
- Reliability, Efficiency and Discipline sub-scores
- All seven measured inputs, with fleet percentiles
- Rank against comparable units, not just the fleet
- Three-year, five-year and lifetime windows
- Five-year trend, and every other operating US reactor
Included with every outage subscription and with NukeWorker Gold membership. Trading the outage rather than working it? The same record, cut by power market, is on NukeGryd.
Scram History 8 events since 2011
Automatic and manual reactor scram (emergency shutdown) events reported to the NRC since 2011. Includes event dates, trip type, and average recovery time. Click the title to view the full fleet scram dashboard.
Browns Ferry 1 has recorded 8 reactor scrams, or emergency shutdowns, since 2011 (6 automatic, 2 manual). On average the unit was back to full power about 12.1 days after each trip.
Technical Specs
Reactor design specifications including type (PWR/BWR), containment design, nuclear steam supply system manufacturer, thermal and electrical power ratings, and current operational status.
Reactor Type:
BWR
Containment:
BWR-MARK 1
NSS Supplier:
GE 4
Turbine Supplier:
GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. IAEA
Thermal Power:
3952 MWt
Net Capacity:
1256 MWe
Design Capacity:
1,065 MWe IAEA
Efficiency:
31.8%
Status:
Operating
Lifetime Output:
225.7 TWh through 2025 IAEA
Licensing
NRC licensing history including docket number, license type and number, construction permit date, operating license issuance, commercial operation date, license renewal, and expiration date.
Docket #:
05000259
License #:
DPR-33
License Type:
OL-FP
Const. Permit:
1967-05-10
Construction Start:
1967-05-01 IAEA
Operating Lic:
1973-12-20
First Criticality:
1973-08-17 IAEA
Grid Connection:
1973-10-15 IAEA
Commercial Op:
1974-08-01
License Renewed:
2025-12-11
License Exp:
2053-12-20
Market & Region
EIA market and grid-region classifications: NERC reliability region, U.S. Census region, balancing authority responsible for grid operations, and whether the unit operates as a rate-regulated utility or a competitive merchant generator. Hover any value for the full name.
NERC Region:
SERC
— SERC Reliability Corporation
Census Region:
ESC
— East South Central
Balancing Authority:
TVA
— Tennessee Valley Authority
Market Structure:
Regulated
— Rate-regulated utility (cost-of-service pricing)