From WFAA, “Why a Texas nuclear power plant stopped producing electricity Friday”:

A problem at a Texas nuclear power plant Friday caused a sudden dip in electricity supply, forcing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to tap a brand new reserve system to stabilize the grid.

…

Unplanned nuclear outages are rare, and the timing of this incident prompted concern. Texans will likely set electricity demand records twice this week, when temperatures soar to triple digits.

“We need all (generators) showing up for work every day right now,” said University of Houston energy fellow Ed Hirs.

Here is the EIA’s picture of outages on June 18, 2023:

Source: EIA.

Note that the size of the circle is proportionate to generation. Significant? You can see how outages spike relative to usual pattern as a consequence of Comanche Peak, June 17-18.

Source: EIA.

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