June 8 at 12:01 a.m. marked 15 years of commercial operation for Unit 1 at the Susquehanna nuclear plant.

"In its 15-year history, Unit 1 has generated 101.2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity safely and dependably for the customers of PP&L, Inc. and Allegheny Electric Cooperative, Inc., joint owners of the plant," said Herbert D. Woodeshick, PP&L, Inc.'s special assistant to the president for Susquehanna.

Unit 1 also has set two plant records for continuous operation -- 427 days in 1994-95 and a 392-day run that ended in April when it was taken out of service for its 10th refueling and maintenance outage, which concluded Friday (6/5).

"More than a year of continuous safe operation for any generating plant of this size and complexity is quite an achievement, regardless of its fuel source," Woodeshick said. "To do it twice is a tribute to the personnel at the plant who operate, maintain and support Unit 1."

From the beginning, safety has been the top priority in operation of both Susquehanna units, he added.

"Throughout Unit 1's operation, we've focused on instilling and enhancing a safety culture at Susquehanna," Woodeshick said. "Our mission remains the same: To operate, maintain, and support Susquehanna without compromising public or employee safety.

"Because of that safety culture, Unit 1 has generated electricity consistently and reliably for the past 15 years," Woodeshick said. "Looking to the future, our focus is on making any necessary changes to ensure the long-term safe operation of the Susquehanna plant."

The Susquehanna plant, jointly owned by PP&L, Inc. and Allegheny Electric Cooperative, Inc., is located about five miles northeast of Berwick along Route 11.