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Get the Facts

View these articles about Harris Plant topics of interest to the community.

  • Harris Nuclear Plant video overview, 7 minutes

The single-unit, 900-megawatt Harris Nuclear Plant is located near New Hill, N.C. The plant generates power for more than 550,000 homes. It is Progress Energy's newest nuclear plant, beginning commercial operation in 1987.

Emergency preparedness

Harris Plant sirens are outdoor warning systems

A view of the new sirens, which went into effect April 1, 2008.

Did you know the purpose of the sirens in the 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone around the plant is to serve as an outdoor warning system in the event of an emergency? Residents sometimes call the plant after a siren test to explain that they could not hear the siren inside their home. The primary means of communication in an emergency are messages broadcast through commercial radio and television stations. Information would also be available via tone-alert weather radios.

If there were ever a real emergency at the plant requiring the sirens to be sounded, local radio and television stations would broadcast information and instructions to the public. 

The alert notification sirens around the Harris Plant are tested annually at full-volume, silently every two weeks and for a short-duration test every quarter.

If you hear a loud, steady sound coming from one of the sirens around the Harris Plant, tune your radio to an Emergency Alert System (EAS) station. In our area, your primary EAS stations are 94.7 FM or 105.1 FM. Hearing a siren does not mean you should evacuate.

  • Listen to a sample of a full-volume test from the Harris Plant - new sirens.

  • Learn about tone alert radios for residences within a five-mile radius of the Harris Plant.

  • The Harris Plant installed a new siren system in 2008. The 83 new sirens, used to alert EPZ residents in the event of an emergency, have a battery back-up. This is used to enhance reliability and to ensure the sirens are operational during an outage. The batteries store enough energy to maintain full operation of the sirens for at least four days if necessary.
     
    In the unlikely event of an actual emergency at the Harris Plant, the sirens would be activated four times for three minutes each time.

If you have questions, please call Progress Energy at 919-362-3261 or 1-800-443-8395 or send an  e-mail.

Harris Energy and Environmental Center

The Harris E&E Center, located about two miles from the Harris Nuclear Plant in New Hill, NC, features hands-on educational resources and exhibits on electricity generation and transmission, alternative energy, energy efficiency, and the benefits of nuclear power.

Programs, appropriate for middle school and up, can be arranged by calling the E&E Center at 919-362-3261 or sending an e-mail. All group programs and individual visits must be arranged by appointment in advance, and are scheduled on weekdays during normal business hours.

Click here to see more photos of the E&E Center.

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