Braidwood Nuclear Generating Station, Nuclear power station located in Will County, Illinois, United States
The Braidwood Nuclear Generating Station is a nuclear power plant in Will County, Illinois, operated with two pressurized water reactors. The site features massive concrete structures and two large cooling towers rising above open fields and patches of forest.
Construction began in the mid-1970s, and the first reactor came online in the late 1980s. The second reactor followed within a short time, and the plant has supplied the region with nuclear-generated power ever since.
The station is well known in the area as a major employer and shapes everyday life for many families in the surrounding towns. The artificial lake created to support the plant is now used by local residents for walks and wildlife watching.
The plant is not open to visitors, but the cooling towers are visible from surrounding roads and nearby open areas. Security restrictions apply around the perimeter, so it is best to observe the site from a distance.
Braidwood Lake, the artificial body of water used to cool the reactors, was created by damming a local river and is separate from any natural lake in the area. Today it attracts wildlife and is a spot where people walk along the shore and watch birds and other animals.
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