Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in Athens, Ala., is shown from above.TVA reactivates Browns Ferry 2
The Tennessee Valley Authority says a reactor at its Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in North Alabama is again operating at full capacity.
The utility’s Unit 2 reactor unexpectedly shut down Saturday during testing after maintenance. Officials said the reactor was operating at 100 percent power Thursday afternoon.
TVA officials said Browns Ferry Unit 2 provides power to 650,000 homes and businesses, and three combined Browns Ferry units generate enough power to supply more than 2 million people. Officials said Unit 2 had a record run of 562 days of continuous operation.
Mortgage rates dip to record low
The average rate on a typical 30-year fixed mortgage last week dipped closer to the lowest on record, a trend that is making home buying more affordable and also enabling more Americans to refinance their loans.
Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said the average rate on a 30-year loan declined to 3.35 percent from 3.37 percent last week. That’s not far from the 3.31 percent rate of about a month ago, the lowest on records dating to 1971. The average on the 15-year fixed mortgage was unchanged at 2.65 percent. The record low is 2.63 percent.