Unit 1 of the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant near Dothan, Ala., has safely resumed generating electricity following completion of a scheduled refueling and maintenance outage.

Plant operators safely took Unit 1 offline on March 28, and the refueling and maintenance outage ended on May 7 at approximately 1 a.m. CT.

In addition to refueling the reactor and performing regular maintenance and testing, workers made upgrades to plant systems and components to enhance efficiency and reliability.

"Safety is our top priority, and our team is to be commended for completing this outage safely and efficiently," said Plant Farley Vice President Cheryl Gayheart.

"The work we perform during our outages is a significant investment in our facility. Unit 1 is positioned not just for the next 18 months, but for years of continued safe and reliable electricity production."

Employees from across the Southern Nuclear fleet are assisting Farley's staff of more than 900 in the refueling effort. More than 800 additional workers from Westinghouse, Siemens, Williams and other partners are on site performing specialized tasks. This supplemental workforce provides economic stimulus to surrounding communities during the planning stages and throughout the outage.

The last refueling outage for Unit 1 was completed in fall 2013. Farley Unit 2 continued to safely generate electricity while Unit 1 was offline for the refueling.