?
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
ranked of 93
Subscribers
?
Current reactor power level from the most recent NRC daily report.
100%
Power
ONLINE
?
Days of continuous operation since the last outage ended. Ranked against all operating units.
418
Current Run
days
#22 of 95
Top Quartile
?
Longest recorded period of continuous operation between outages.
732
Record Run
days
#17 of 95
Top Quartile
?
Breaker-to-Breaker runs — continuous operation exceeding the cycle-adjusted threshold (611 days for this 24-month cycle unit) with no trips to 0% power.
3
B2B Runs
#71 of 87
Bottom Quartile
?
Lifetime capacity factor: average power level across all recorded days (100% = always at full power). Ranked against all NRC-tracked units.
88.7%
Capacity Factor
#65 of 95
Mid Quartile
?
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.
8.8 TWh
Net Generation
EIA-923 · 12 mo to 2026-06 · plant total
2033-12
Planned Retirement
EIA-860M announced
?
Community rating score (Bayesian-adjusted). Based on 42 votes. Ranked against all rated facilities.
51.1
Rating
42 votes
#54 of 97
Mid Quartile
?
Total NRC-reported scram events (emergency reactor shutdowns). Ranked fleet-wide — fewer scrams = better rank.
5
Scrams
#21 of 94
Top Quartile
?
Years since commercial operation began. License remaining: 6.9 years.
52.7
Operating Age
years
6.9 yrs remaining
Reactor Status Timeline
Online NRC data, Mon to Fri ? Actual daily reactor status from NRC reports (Mon to Fri) and the current state. What is coming -- the utility's published Scheduled outage and NukeWorker's model Projection -- is part of a subscription. Colored by status. How far ahead you can see depends on your plan.OnlineReduced Power
Estimated reactivity remaining in Prairie Island 1's current fuel cycle, shown as a stylized fuel rod that drains as the cycle progresses. The cycle starts when the unit returns to power after its most recent refueling outage, and the gauge represents the fraction of that cycle's typical effective full-power days (EFPD) still available. Days at less than 100% power burn fuel proportionally — so a unit with significant downtime (high burn deficit) drains slower and ends with MORE reactivity left, giving operators margin to coast down (extend the cycle by reducing power) instead of refueling on the calendar. The dashed red line near the bottom marks the rough industry coastdown threshold (~15% remaining). Cycle target is the unit's median recent cycle length. Source: NRC daily reactor status reports cross-referenced against scheduled refuel outage history.
Fuel Burn Down Cycle since Jan 18, 2025
Prairie Island 1 is 601 days into its current fuel cycle with an estimated 15.2% of its fuel left. Its typical cycle runs about 691 days.
Fresh — 100%
Refuel — 0%
15.2% remaining
Approaching refuel
Cycle progress
601 / 691 days
EFPD remaining
105 days
Effective burn
586 EFPD
Burn deficit
15.1 FPD
Prairie Island 1 is approaching refuel. Coastdown decisions are being weighed; the next outage is likely within months.
This unit has accumulated 15.1 FPD of unburned fuel from cycle downtime — that's free margin to extend the cycle if operators want.
This unit has accumulated 15.1 FPD of unburned fuel from cycle downtime — that's free margin to extend the cycle if operators want.
Historical Burn-Down (14 completed cycles)
Avg refuel point
14.9% remaining
Deepest burn
0.0% (2020-10 → 2022-10)
Most margin
29.7% (2011-06 → 2012-10)
Last 5 cycles at refuel
11%
2014-11
6%
2016-11
2%
2018-10
0%
2020-10
18%
2022-11
~16% coastdown (this unit)
Operational Excellence Score Subscribers
Prairie Island 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.
Capacity Factor (365-Day)
100%
Current
98.9%
365-Day Avg
#54
of 94 plants
Min: 38%
Max: 100%
6 days <80%
Breaker-to-Breaker Runs 3 runs
Breaker-to-breaker runs measure continuous operation between refueling outages using a cycle-adjusted threshold (90% of cycle length minus RFO duration). An active streak means the unit has been running continuously since the last refueling with no trips to 0% power.
Prairie Island 1 has logged 3 breaker-to-breaker runs, continuous stretches from one refueling to the next with no trip to zero power. Its longest ran 731 days, and its runs average 682 days.
731
Best Run (days)
1R32 (2020-10-14) → 1R33 (2022-10-15)
682
Avg Run (days)
All Runs
| 2020-10-14 | 2022-10-15 | 731 days | 1R32 → 1R33 |
| 2016-11-21 | 2018-09-22 | 670 days | 1R30 → 1R31 |
| 2013-01-02 | 2014-10-08 | 644 days | 1R28 → 1R29 |
Scram History 5 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.
Prairie Island 1 has recorded 5 reactor scrams, or emergency shutdowns, since 2011 (3 automatic, 2 manual). On average the unit was back to full power about 6 days after each trip.
Outage Duration Trend
?Scheduled refueling outage durations over time. Green bars are below average, yellow near average, red above. Dashed line shows the plant's historical average. Shorter outages mean better execution.
Prairie Island 1 has completed 15 scheduled refueling outages on record, averaging 48 days each. The most recent, in Sep 2024, ran 118 days.
Power History (12-Month)
?Daily power output as a percentage of rated capacity over the past 365 days. Green segments indicate full power (90%+), yellow shows reduced output, and red indicates significant power reductions or shutdowns.
Over the past 12 months Prairie Island 1 has run at an average of 98.9% of rated power. On the chart, green stretches are full-power running and dips toward zero mark reduced output or outages.
Outage Days by Year
?Total days spent in outage each year, split by scheduled refueling (blue) and forced/unplanned (red). Lower totals indicate better reliability and outage execution. Hover for details.
Across its recorded history, Prairie Island 1 has spent 714 days in scheduled refueling outages and 262 days in forced or unplanned outages. Taller bars mark the years with the most downtime.
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.
Prairie Island 1 has operated for about 52.7 years and averaged a 88.7% lifetime capacity factor, generating roughly 116.3 TWh of electricity. Its longest unbroken run reached 732 days.
Lifecycle & Tenure
Operating Age: 52.7 Yrs
Build Time: 5.5 Yrs
Lic. Remaining: 6.9 Yrs
Production & Power
Lifetime CF: 88.7%
Efficiency: 31.1%
Generated: 116.3 TWh
Reliability & Outages
Record Run: 732 Days
Refuelings: 15
Avg Startup: 4.1 Days
NukeWorker Member Ratings 42 votes
Community ratings from NukeWorker members. Vote to share your experience working at this facility. Score uses a Bayesian average that accounts for vote count — facilities with few votes are pulled toward the fleet average, so rankings reflect confidence, not just raw percentages.
Above Average
16 (38%)
Average
10 (23%)
Below Average
16 (38%)
Facility Map
Interactive satellite map showing the facility's geographic location. Marker color indicates current status: green for online, red for offline, orange for reduced power. Click the header to open in Google Maps satellite view.
44.622, -92.6331
Location & Contact
Physical address, phone number, and website for this facility. Use the directions link to get driving directions via Google Maps.
Phone:
(612) 388-1121
Website:
http://www.xcelenergy.com
Per Diem Rates FY 2026
Per diem covers lodging and meals & incidental expenses (M&IE) for government and contractor travel near this facility. Rates are from GSA for FY 2026.
$110
Lodging/Night
$68
M&IE/Day
$178
Total/Day
Standard Rate, MN
Unemployment Benefits MN
Maximum state unemployment insurance benefits for MN. Actual benefits depend on your earnings history and may be lower than the maximum. Data as of Jan 2026.
$914
Max Weekly
26
Max Weeks
$23,764
Max Total
7-day waiting period before benefits begin
Jobs in MN 1 active
Active nuclear industry job listings in MN from the NukeWorker job board. Click a job title for full details, or click the header to search all jobs in this state.
Photos
Photos of this facility from the NukeWorker photo gallery. Click the header or any photo to browse the full album.
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.
XEL
Xcel Energy Inc.
NasdaqGS
$75.50
▲ +0.09 (+0.12%)
Previous Close
75.41
Day's Range
75.21 – 76.29
52-Week Range
71.35 – 84.23
Volume
5,403,802
Delayed quote as of Sep 11, 2026 4:00 PM ET.
Source: Yahoo Finance.
Full quote on Yahoo Finance
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:
PWR
Containment:
PWR-DRYAMB
NSS Supplier:
WEST 2LP
Thermal Power:
1677 MWt
Net Capacity:
521 MWe
Efficiency:
31.1%
Status:
Operating
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 #:
05000282
License #:
DPR-42
License Type:
OL-FP
Const. Permit:
1968-06-25
Operating Lic:
1974-04-05
Commercial Op:
1973-12-16
License Renewed:
2011-06-27
License Exp:
2033-08-09
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:
MRO
— Midwest Reliability Organization
Census Region:
WNC
— West North Central
Balancing Authority:
MISO
— Midcontinent Independent System Operator (ISO/RTO)
Market Structure:
Regulated
— Rate-regulated utility (cost-of-service pricing)