[Cold Heat]

And there is no timeline as to when these will return to service," NRC spokesman Scott Burnell said.

Totally depends on the type of reactor and the safety protocols.

How far they shut down is the critical factor and if they scrammed them it will likely take three days to a week to restart,(after they finish the shutdown) even more time to get to get back on line. Some are even longer than that.

I wonder if they assumed a terrorist attack and invoked a total shutdown. That would explain the grid failure.

[snopercod]

Good info regarding reactor shutdown and startup [here]. Follow the link.

[TheFrog]

Re: "I wonder if they assumed a terrorist attack and invoked a total shutdown. That would explain the grid failure" <-- G.A.C. NOT

[FairOpinion]

"I wonder if they assumed a terrorist attack and invoked a total shutdown. That would explain the grid failure. "

==

You may have a point.

Outage Triggers Emergency Plans

Excerpt:

NEW YORK -- For the New York Police Department, Thursday's blackout almost instantly triggered a set of security precautions put in place after the World Trade Center attack.

Heavily armed teams of special counterterror officers moved into place at city landmarks and other sensitive locations, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said. Officials swiftly realized the power outage was not an act of terror and then used teams to make sure no one took advantage of the blackout to strike at a terror target, Kelly said.