News

Between 500 and 600 guests of all ages in the Monticello and surrounding community enjoyed multiple hands-on activities learning about nuclear power, Monticello, and safety at a public Open House held at the Monticello Training Center on May 14.  Many families of employees, neighbors, and other locals made new connections with members of the community.

Activities during the open house included demonstrations in the control room simulator, demonstrations of our virtual control room, hands-on with our virtual plant tour, a fun radiation protection dress out activity, multiple coloring activities for kids, an M&M Half-Life game, engineering demonstrations, high voltage electrical safety demonstration with the Xcel Energy State Fair display, Spot the robot dog and drone demonstration, booths from Women in Nuclear, North American Young Generation in Nuclear, Tritium, Emergency Planning, Nuclear Fuel, Nuclear Power Basics, Future of Nuclear Power and a Tiny House demonstrating electrical efficiency.

The feeling of the event was very positive with guests appreciating the opportunity to visit, learn and ask questions.  Many “thank you”s from guests were expressed as they were heading home after enjoying a hot dog, chips, and a great experience with our nuclear staff.

Kids especially enjoyed all the activities designed just for them, with the M&Ms topping the list. They were a little sad to learn we don’t get to swim in the spent fuel pool.

A big thanks was extended by many people on the site’s continued progress on the site’s tritium mitigation efforts and groundwater collection, as well as updates on that progress in the media and on our public groundwater website. The discussion around tritium at the event centered on basic curiosity on mitigation status.

This was a great event for the Monticello Plant, and many new connections with our community were made, like a local High School teacher we will partner with next year to support their class’s module on nuclear power.