Dresden 3 begins Fall 2026 refueling outage

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Dresden 3, Morris, Illinois.

Dresden 3 began a routine refueling outage on Oct 26, 2026, starting 1 day earlier than planned. The fall outage commenced after the unit had run about 98% of its typical 724-day operating cycle. Historically, the unit maintains a 19.9-day average across 14 prior refuels, with its longest prior refuel reaching 40 days in 2004.

MORRIS, IL. Dresden 3 came offline on Oct 26, 2026 for refueling. The start came 1 day earlier than the published schedule, for an outage planned at about two weeks. Subscribers to NukeWorker's outage schedule have the exact dates and planned duration.

Across the U.S. fleet of 94 commercial reactors, today's combined capacity factor is 82.6% (16 units currently refueling), above the 81.8% baseline for this month over the past five years. At the same site, Dresden 2 is running at full power. With the unit offline for refueling, that takes about 716,000 homes' worth of generation off the grid.

Dresden 3 is an 895-MW General Electric BWR/3 operated by Constellation Energy (commercial operation since 1971). The utility operates both units at this site and 19 more at 11 other U.S. plants. Ownership history: Exelon took it over in an October 2000 merger with Commonwealth Edison (Unicom), and Constellation Energy took it over in Exelon's February 2022 spin-off. Its operating license runs through 2051 (renewed in 2025). The unit ran at a 97.8% capacity factor in 2025, one of its strongest years.

Heading to Morris, IL for outage work? WECTEC holds the radiation protection staffing contract here, with RSCS / Allied Power as backup. WECTEC's Fall 2026 outage list includes this outage, with senior and junior RP tech positions. Current per-diem averages $113/night lodging plus $68/day meals (total $181/day), and Unemployment Benefits are $859 weekly. Illinois taxes wages at a flat 4.95%. NukeWorker lists 14 open jobs at Dresden and 115 more across Illinois.

This thread will follow Dresden 3 through startup and power ascension. Get a free email alert the moment it comes back online.

View Dresden 3's ratings, history, projections, and current status on NukeWorker.

Sources: NRC Daily Reactor Power Status reports, validated outage schedules, and NukeWorker's projections.