4th largest plant in Illinois · 73rd nationally
Dresden Generating Station is a nuclear power plant in Illinois with a nameplate capacity of 2,019 MW. It generates roughly 15.3M MWh per year — enough to power about 1,454,209 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 86% means it runs nearly around-the-clock as baseload generation.
| Plant Name | Dresden Generating Station |
|---|---|
| Operator | Constellation Nuclear |
| City | Morris |
| County | Grundy County |
| State | Illinois |
| ZIP | 60450 |
| Coordinates | 41.39000, -88.27000 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Nuclear | Uranium | 1,009 MW | Operating | 1970 |
| 3 | Nuclear | Uranium | 1,009 MW | Operating | 1971 |
| NERC Region | RFC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Pjm Interconnection, Llc |
Nuclear plants generate carbon-free baseload electricity by fissioning uranium fuel inside a reactor. They run nearly around-the-clock — typical capacity factors above 90% — and a single facility can power millions of homes. Spent fuel is stored on-site in dry casks. NRC oversees safety; emergency planning zones extend 10 miles from the reactor.