Zion Nuclear Power Plant, Illinois

The Zion Nuclear Power Plant is on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, and was in operation from 1973 until 1998. In September of 1996, one of its two reactor units was shutdown for routine maintenance, and the second one a year later. By 1998, the owner, Exelon decided to permanently close the plant, citing the cost of replacing all of the steam generators for both units. By 2015, all spent fuel had been transferred to an on-site Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI), where it will remain for the forseeable future, as is the case at more than 100 nuclear plants around the country. By 2018, almost all of the buildings had been removed, except the two reactor buildings.