Private Company Bails Out Nebraska Nuke Plant

The publicly owned power plant has been off-line for 16 months

An unexpected last minute move to get the troubled nuclear power plant at Fort Calhoun up and running — it's been unplugged for nearly 16 months — was no surprise to top officials with the Omaha Public Power District.

"It's been talked about at the highest levels over the last few months," OPPD director John Green tells Nebraska Watchdog.

The OPPD board voted unanimously Thursday night to turn the operation of its publicly owned nuclear reactor over to a private firm, the Chicago based Exelon Corp.