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Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant Back Online

LACEY TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) -- The nation's oldest nuclear power plant is back online following the replacement of a balky electrical transformer.

The Oyster Creek Nuclear Generation Station in Lacey Township was returned to normal service Thursday afternoon after a main power transformer was replaced.

The plant had been operating at reduced power since Dec. 12 after one of its two transformers produced abnormal readings when it was started up following a November refueling outage.

That transformer was replaced with the station's spare transformer this week.

Oyster Creek is located approximately 60 miles east of Philadelphia. The plant produces 636 megawatts of electricity per hour, enough to power approximately 600,000 homes.

(Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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