Each year the Exelon Clinton Nuclear Power Station goes offline for several weeks to do routine maintenance.

That outage began Monday morning and according to Exelon Communications Director, Brett Nauman, they bring in close to 15-hundred additional workers to do routine maintenance on the plant. He notes, during this time, the plant is not producing any electricity.

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The point of the outage is to work on the equipment within the facility that would not be worked on otherwise. Nauman explains equipment issues are dealt with and upgrades are often made when the plant is offline.

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With nearly 15-hundred additional people working at the Clinton Power Station, Nauman indicates regular staff is working with the folks there for the outage. He explains they are working with them on safety aspects and helping in the way the plant operates to keep things running smoothly.

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In years past, the outage has taken place every 18 months, but Nauman indicates, they are now doing this every year. He explains they hope the outage every year will allow them to be more economical in the future.

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With the additional workers in the area, Nauman says it is a great economic boost to surrounding areas because these workers are staying hotels and eating at restaurants and shopping at different stores. He says it becomes a win/win for all involved.