D.C. Cook 1 begins Fall 2026 refueling outage

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D.C. Cook 1, Bridgman, Michigan.

Indiana Michigan Power began a routine refueling outage at D.C. Cook 1 on 2026-09-19. The 1,009-MW Westinghouse 4-loop PWR started the maintenance period on the planned date with a scheduled duration of 32 days.

The unit entered this refuel carrying a 1476-day unscheduled-outage-free streak after running about 91% of its typical 557-day operating cycle. The operator runs 1 other U.S. nuclear unit. The U.S. fleet today maintains a 92.8% capacity factor across 94 units, with 6 in refueling and 0 in unscheduled outages, alongside FitzPatrick.

BRIDGMAN, MI. D.C. Cook 1 entered a refueling outage on Sep 19, 2026. The unit started on the published date (Sep 19, 2026) with a planned 32-day outage running through Oct 21, 2026.

Going into the refueling, the unit had run for more than 4 years without an unscheduled outage. NukeWorker's start-date projection scores 98% accuracy for this unit.

Across the U.S. fleet of 94 commercial reactors, today's combined capacity factor is 92.8% (6 units currently refueling), above the 92.8% baseline for this month over the past five years. At the same site, D.C. Cook 2 is running at full power. FitzPatrick also began a refueling outage within the past week. With the unit offline for refueling, that takes about 807,000 homes' worth of generation off the grid.

D.C. Cook 1 is a 1,009-MW Westinghouse 4-loop PWR operated by Indiana Michigan Power (commercial operation since 1975). The utility operates 1 other U.S. nuclear unit. Its operating license runs through 2034 (renewed in 2005). The unit ran at a 88.5% capacity factor in 2025, a steady year.

Heading to Bridgman, MI for outage work? Current per-diem averages $110/night lodging plus $68/day meals (total $178/day), and Unemployment Benefits are $530 weekly. See open nuclear jobs in Michigan on NukeWorker.

View D.C. Cook 1's ratings, history, projections, and current status on NukeWorker.

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

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D.C. Cook 1's reactor is critical: the NRC's Oct 22, 2026 report shows it at 12% power in Mode 1, the first reading above zero since its Fall 2026 refueling outage began on Sep 19, 2026.

NRC daily power since restart: Oct 22 12% · Oct 23 47%

View D.C. Cook 1's ratings, history, projections, and current status on NukeWorker.

Source: NRC Daily Reactor Power Status reports.

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D.C. Cook 1 is back on the grid: the NRC's Oct 24, 2026 report shows it at 56% power, more steam than its condenser steam dumps can take, so the main generator is on line. That came 2 days after its first reading above zero on Oct 22, 2026. It reached full power, 97%, in the NRC's Oct 26, 2026 report, 4 days after its first reading above zero, completing power ascension from its Fall 2026 refueling outage. Over its last 6 refuels the climb from first power to full power took a median of 5 days.

NRC daily power since restart: Oct 22 12% · Oct 23 47% · Oct 24 56% · Oct 25 87% · Oct 26 97%

The outage in full: D.C. Cook 1 completes Fall refuel in 33 days, caps 507-day B2B run.

View D.C. Cook 1's ratings, history, projections, and current status on NukeWorker.

Source: NRC Daily Reactor Power Status reports.