ABOUT US

The Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant is located on the coast of Lake Michigan near Bridgman, Michigan. It is owned by American Electric Power (AEP) and safely operated by Indiana Michigan Power (I&M).

D.C. Cook Nuclear Plant gets its name from the late Donald C. Cook. He was born in Michigan and worked for AEP 23 years. He was AEP’s chairman when he retired in 1976.

Cook Nuclear Plant has two Westinghouse pressurized water reactors that are licensed to operate until 2034 and 2037. At full power, both reactors produce a combined 2360 megawatts (MWe) [Unit 1: 1120 MWe, Unit 2: 1240 MWe] of electricity which is enough to supply power to approximately 1.5 million homes (a city the size of Detroit, MI).

Unit 1 primarily services Southwest Michigan and Unit 2 services Norwest/Central Indiana (as far south as Fort Wayne, IN).

DC Cook Fact Sheet

PHOTO GALLERY:

Cook Plant

Cook Nuclear Plant

  • Cook Nuclear Plant

    Nuclear energy stations do not emit pollutants or greenhouse gases when they generate electricity. The life-cycle emissions from nuclear energy are comparable to other non-emitting sources of electricity like wind, solar and hydropower.

  • New Unit 2 Turbine Rotor

    AEP continuously upgrades and replaces components and systems at Cook. Rigorous NRC oversight and learnings from research and development and operating experience will help ensure nuclear power plants continue to operate safely for decades to come.

  • Cook Plant Control Room

    Operators receive rigorous training and must hold valid federal licenses. Stringent federal regulation; automated, redundant safety systems; and the industry’s commitment to comprehensive safety procedures keep nuclear power plants and their communities safe.

  • Security Officer on Patrol

    Each nuclear power plant has extensive security measures in place to protect the facility from intruders. All nuclear power plant staff are subject to background and criminal history checks before they are granted access to the plant.

  • Inside the Turbine Building

    Cook’s massive turbine-generators can supply electricity to more than 1.5 million average homes. Nuclear energy is the only electricity source that can generate electricity 24/7 reliably, efficiently and with no greenhouse gas emissions.

  • Refueling the Reactor

    Nuclear reactors only need to be refueled every 18 months. Used fuel from nuclear power plants is stored in steel-lined concrete pools filled with water, or in airtight steel or concrete-and-steel containers.

OPERATIONS

Safe nuclear operations starts with the extensive training of our operators.

1-800-548-2555


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COOKINFO@AEP.COM


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Cook Energy Center, One Cook Place

, Bridgman, MI 49106

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