Station Operations
HNP operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year as a baseload generating resource. The plant's four BWR-6 units are typically operated at or near full power between refueling outages, with power reductions only for surveillance testing, seasonal optimization, or grid support requests.
Current Operating Status (as of site publication date)
| Unit | Status | Power Level | Days Online (Current Cycle) | Next Refueling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | ONLINE | 100.0% (1,262 MW) | 487 | April 2026 (1RFO-20) |
| Unit 2 | ONLINE | 100.0% (1,262 MW) | 19 | October 2027 (2RFO-20) |
| Unit 3 | ONLINE | 99.8% (1,259 MW) | 312 | August 2026 (3RFO-19) |
| Unit 4 | ONLINE | 100.0% (1,262 MW) | 19 | October 2027 (4RFO-19) |
Control Room Operations
The Main Control Room (MCR) is staffed at all times by a minimum of two Senior Reactor Operators (SROs) and four Reactor Operators (ROs), plus a Shift Technical Advisor (STA) and Shift Manager. All licensed operators maintain active NRC licenses and complete rigorous continuing training in the station's full-scope simulator.
The plant uses a hybrid analog/digital instrumentation and control architecture with significant digital upgrades completed during the 2012-2018 Digital Modernization Program. The original GE Mark IV analog systems remain in service for the reactor protection system, while most balance-of-plant and some nuclear steam supply system functions have been migrated to Emerson Ovation and Westinghouse Common Q platforms.
Fuel & Spent Fuel Management
Each unit contains 764 fuel assemblies. Refueling outages typically replace approximately 25-30% of the core. Spent fuel is initially stored in the spent fuel pool located in the reactor building and is later transferred to dry cask storage at the on-site Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI). As of October 2025, 68 HI-STORM 100 casks are loaded and in storage on the ISFSI pad.
Transmission & Grid Interface
The station connects to the TEA 500 kV transmission system via three 500 kV lines and the local 161 kV network. The on-site 500/161 kV switchyard is owned and maintained by TEA Transmission. HNP generation is dispatched by the TEA Balancing Authority as a must-run nuclear resource under normal conditions.