Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) officials declared a “Notification of Unusual Event” at the two-unit, 2,320 MW Sequoyah Nuclear Plant in Tennessee Feb. 12 and notified federal, state and local officials. A “Notification of Unusual Event” is the lowest of four Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) classifications.

TVA said an electrical malfunction in the switchyard at the plant damaged some localized electrical distribution equipment but did not affect the operation of the two units.

The event occurred in the non-nuclear portion of the plant’s electrical switchyard which is similar in operation to all electrical power plants. Nuclear safety related equipment was not required or impacted and TVA said both units continued to operate at full power.

TVA said Sequoyah plant officials terminated the notice the same day, after the electrical fault was isolated from the remainder of the electrical switchyard.

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