The Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant is a two-unit pressurized water reactor (PWR) of Westinghouse design. The plant is located on the Mississippi River about 40 miles southeast of the Twin Cities and about 5 miles north of Red Wing, Minn. The Unit 1 reactor began operating in December 1973 and the Unit 2 reactor in December 1974. About 800 people are employed full time at Prairie Island. Xcel Energy also owns the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant in Monticello, Minn.

Location
Welch, Minnesota (28 miles southeast of Twin Cities)

Generation
Two units - 1,100 Mw (Megawatts) total

Reactor type
Pressurized water

Date of commercial operation
Unit 1-Dec. 4, 1973 to the present; Unit 2-Dec. 21, 1974 to the present

Ownership
Operated by Xcel Energy, Inc

Web site

• Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant (Web site)
• Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant Emergency Information and Phone Numbers (pdf)
• Nuclear Emergency Preparedness General Information (Web site)

• Pierce County Emergency Management (Radiological Emergency Planning for Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant) (Web site)