Plant operators safely took Unit 1 of the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant offline on Sunday, Sept. 20, for a scheduled refueling and maintenance outage.

Each unit at Plant Vogtle requires new fuel every 18 months. The most recent refueling outage for Unit 1 was completed in the spring of 2014.

In addition to refueling the reactor during the outage, workers will perform regular maintenance and tests, and upgrade plant equipment.

"Safety is our number one priority during the outage," said Keith Taber, site vice president for Vogtle units 1 and 2.  "A safe and successful outage is achieved through the focus of the entire organization – our employees and our supporting partners."

Nearly 1,300 additional workers from Westinghouse, General Electric, Day & Zimmermann and other companies have come to the plant to perform special tasks. Employees from across the Southern Nuclear fleet also are assisting Vogtle's team in the refueling effort.

These additional workers provide considerable economic stimulus to surrounding communities during their stay in the area.

Vogtle Unit 2 will continue to safely generate electricity while Unit 1 is offline and refueling.