Natural Gas, Nuclear Drive U.S. Fourth-Quarter Power Plant Maintenance

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Written by Danny Levin, Deputy Editor for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

Industrial Info Resources is tracking more than 160 maintenance-related projects at U.S. power plants that are set to begin in the fourth quarter, with natural gas and nuclear-fired plants accounting for much of the activity.

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Natural Gas and Nuclear-Fired Power Maintenance

U.S. natural gas consumption averaged a record 92 billion cubic feet per day in 2025, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), and operators are trying to keep their power plants in the best shape to accommodate demand. Nuclear plants, meanwhile, also according to the EIA, reduce generation to refuel every 18 to 24 months, mostly in fall and spring, when electricity demand is lower.

Industrial Info Resources data shows more than 160 maintenance-related projects at U.S. power plants that are set to begin in the fourth quarter, with natural gas-fired and nuclear plants accounting for 135 projects and nearly all of the $1 billion in overall investment. Natural gas is the main driver with 119 projects.

A swath of major plant operators and electric utilities is getting in on the action, including Duke Energy, Entergy and Constellation Energy Corporation, among others.

Entergy could perform maintenance on existing machinery at its natural gas-fired, combined-cycle (NGCC) plant in Texas: the 993-megawatt (MW) Montgomery County Power Station in Willis, outside of Houston. The Industrial Info Resources Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Plant and Project databases offer a detailed plant profile and project report.

Meanwhile, Duke Energy expects a 42-day outage on the 847-MW Block 1 at the W.S. Lee Power Station in Anderson County, South Carolina, which entails major turbine inspections/repairs to two heavy-frame combustion turbines and one steam turbine, all from Siemens AG. Readers can view the related plant profile and project report.

Although fourth-quarter maintenance at U.S. nuclear plants accounts for just 16 projects, the activity is located at high-profile plants. This includes two refueling outages from Duke in South Carolina: on the 887-MW Unit 1 at its largest nuclear plant--the 2,660-MW Oconee Nuclear Power Station--as well as on the lone operating unit (Unit 2) at the H.B. Robinson Nuclear Power Station. Readers can access plant profiles on the Oconee and H.B. Robinson plants and detailed project reports on the outages.

Constellation Energy, which operates the largest fleet of nuclear plants in the U.S., is the sole operator (but 50% co-owner: PSEG Power) of the 2,500+-MW Peach Bottom Nuclear Power Station in Pennsylvania, where it is planning a refueling outage on Unit 2. View the plant profile here and the project report here.

Industrial Info Resources offers a full list of reports for maintenance-related projects at U.S. power plants that are set to begin in the fourth quarter.

View a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, as well as a full list of related plant profiles.

Key Takeaways

• More than 160: Number of maintenance-related projects at U.S. power plants that are set to begin in the fourth quarter.
• Natural gas-fired power is the main driver, with 119 projects, followed by nuclear.
• Duke Energy, Entergy and Constellation Energy Corporation are among the major companies with planned project activity.

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About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 trillion (USD).