Watts Bar 2 begins Fall 2026 refueling outage

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Watts Bar 2, Spring City, Tennessee.

Watts Bar 2 began a routine refueling outage on Nov 7, 2026, 1 day later than the scheduled start of Nov 6, 2026. The unit entered the outage after running 99% of its typical 550-day operating cycle, including an 11-day coastdown where output drifted from 97% to 92%. Going into this refuel, the unit had operated for 16 months without an unscheduled outage.

SPRING CITY, TN. Watts Bar 2 came offline on Nov 7, 2026 for refueling. It came off line after a 11-day end-of-cycle coastdown: with its fuel nearing the end of its useful life, output drifted from 97% to 92% before shutdown. The start came 1 day later than the published schedule, for an outage planned at about four weeks. Subscribers to NukeWorker's outage schedule have the exact dates and planned duration.

Going into the refueling, the unit had run for about 16 months without an unscheduled outage.

Across the U.S. fleet of 94 commercial reactors, today's combined capacity factor is 84.2% (12 units currently refueling, 3 units in unscheduled outages), below the 88.0% baseline for this month over the past five years. At the same site, Watts Bar 1 is running at full power. With the unit offline for refueling, that takes about 898,000 homes' worth of generation off the grid.

Watts Bar 2 is a 1,122-MW Westinghouse 4-loop PWR operated by Tennessee Valley Authority (commercial operation since 2016). The utility operates both units at this site and 5 more at 2 other U.S. plants. Its operating license runs through 2055. The unit ran at an 89.6% capacity factor in 2025, a steady year.

Heading to Spring City, TN for outage work? WECTEC holds the radiation protection staffing contract here. 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 $275 weekly. Tennessee has no state income tax. NukeWorker lists 75 open nuclear jobs in Tennessee.

This thread will follow Watts Bar 2 through startup and power ascension. Get a free email alert the moment it comes back online.

View Watts Bar 2's ratings, history, projections, and current status on NukeWorker.

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