As a fleet, Utilities Service Alliance members experienced significant safety and operational performance improvements in 2016 thanks to involvement by USA Corporate Functional Area Managers (CFAMS) and engagement by USA teams.

“As a direct result of the focus of our 2016 CFAMs, our members have seen significant, measurable improvement in Operations, Outage Performance, Maintenance and Work Management, Radiation Protection, Emergency Planning and more,” says John Christensen, USA Acting President and CEO. “In many ways 2016 was the most influential year in USA’s history.”

According to figures presented to USA’s Board of Directors, specific fleet-wide improvements were made in the following areas:
• Operations clearance & tagging events, Operations Focus Index, mispositioning events, and unplanned shutdown Limiting Conditions of Operation (LCOs)
• Outage duration, scope and scope completion, unplanned losses of decay heat removal, unplanned safety function risk level changes, and milestone adherence
• Maintenance and Work Management Online Deficient Critical Work Order backlog, Critical Preventive Maintenance (PMs) in second half of grace, rework index, deferred critical PMs, and critical scope survival
• Engineering change closeouts, field changes, and age of Red/Yellow Systems
• Radiation Protection total aggregate technical performance
• Emergency Planning Equipment Important to Emergency Response
• Chemistry CEI-2, BWR RWCU and HWC availability, Department Clock resets
• Security Force-on-Force and NRC inspection performance
• Fukushima preparedness
• USA Recovery station performance improvement.

“The improving performance trends demonstrate USA’s ability to focus and apply the combined resources of its members to improve fleet performance,” Christensen says. “And we apply this strength with renewed vigor as we focus on 2017 goals in the areas of Reactivity Management, Weekly Schedule and Scope Stability, Training Accreditation Renewal, and Human Performance and Industrial Safety.”

USA is an alliance comprising four Full Member utilities operating nuclear power stations including Columbia, Comanche Peak, Susquehanna and South Texas, and four Efficiency Member utilities operating Fermi, Monticello, Prairie Island, Cooper and Cook nuclear stations. Combined, our Full Member stations generate more than 8,800 megawatts of energy. In addition to administering a network of more than 60 nuclear suppliers, USA helps its members leverage their combined resources, talent and expertise to serve their customers with clean, safe, reliable and cost-efficient energy. It is on the web at www.usainc.org.