Unit 2 at the Susquehanna nuclear power plant near Berwick was shut down Sunday (7/14) during routine testing of electrical equipment. Operators shut the unit down after detecting a problem as the equipment was being prepared to return to service following planned maintenance work.

"The unit shut down as designed and is in a stable condition," said Herbert D. Woodeshick, special assistant to the president for Pennsylvania Power & Light Co., operator of the plant.

The exact cause of the equipment problem that led to the 6:02 p.m. shutdown was not immediately known, Woodeshick said. The problem is under investigation.

Before the shutdown, Unit 2 had been running for 266 consecutive days. Unit 1, which was not affected and continues to run at full power, has been running for 221 consecutive days.

The Susquehanna plant, located in Luzerne County about five miles north of Berwick, is owned jointly by PP&L and Allegheny Electric Cooperative Inc.