Oconee 1 begins Fall 2026 refueling outage

[Core Content]

Oconee 1, Seneca, South Carolina.

Oconee 1 began a routine refueling outage on Oct 31, 2026, starting 3 days earlier than its scheduled start of Nov 3, 2026. The unit entered this refuel following an end-of-cycle coastdown lasting 14 days, during which output drifted from 97% to 87%. Going into this refuel, the plant had gone more than 7 years without an unscheduled outage and had run about 100% of its typical 627-day operating cycle.

SENECA, SC. Oconee 1 entered a refueling outage on Oct 31, 2026. It came off line after a 14-day end-of-cycle coastdown: with its fuel nearing the end of its useful life, output drifted from 97% to 87% before shutdown. The start came 3 days earlier 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 more than 7 years without an unscheduled outage.

Across the U.S. fleet of 94 commercial reactors, today's combined capacity factor is 82.4% (16 units currently refueling, 1 unit in an unscheduled outage), below the 88.0% baseline for this month over the past five years. At the same site, Oconee 2 and Oconee 3 are both running at full power. Dresden 3 also began a refueling outage within the past week. With the unit offline for refueling, that takes about 690,000 homes' worth of generation off the grid.

Oconee 1 is an 862-MW Babcock & Wilcox PWR operated by Duke Energy (commercial operation since 1973). The utility operates all 3 units at this site and 8 more at 5 other U.S. plants. Its operating license runs through 2053 (renewed in 2025). The unit ran at a 100.0% capacity factor in 2025, one of its strongest years.

Heading to Seneca, SC 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, decon, and dosimetry positions. Current per-diem averages $113/night lodging plus $68/day meals (total $181/day), and Unemployment Benefits are $326 weekly. South Carolina taxes wages on a graduated scale, about 5.0% effective. NukeWorker lists 2 open jobs at Oconee and 69 more across South Carolina.

This thread will follow Oconee 1 through startup and power ascension. Get a free email alert the moment it comes back online.

View Oconee 1's ratings, history, projections, and current status on NukeWorker.

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