“BUCHANAN — Indian Point 2 shut down yesterday morning so repairs could be made to a packing seal on a valve that regulates the flow of nonradioactive water to one of the plant’s four steam generators.

A spokesman for Entergy Nuclear Northeast, which owns Indian Point, said the plant had to be shut down — the first time in 383 days of continuous operation — in order to make the repair.

“I expect we’ll be back up by the weekend,” Entergy spokesman Jim Steets said.

One of two working nuclear reactors at the site, Indian Point 2 produces about 1,000 megawatts of power, an estimated 5 percent of the electrical power grid that serves New York.

Steets said the reactor’s power would be reduced to about 2 percent of its normal operation and would remain there until the valve is repaired.

The plant’s power production was reduced without incident, Steets said.

Company officials’ only real concern about the repair was breaking their continuous operation streak.

“This is one of the longest continuous runs in the plant’s history,” said Paul Rubin, Indian Point’s operations general manager, “and it’s a credit to the Indian Point workers for demonstrating their attention to safety and operations and maintenance skills.”

Indian Point 3, which was taken down for repairs during the first week in October, continues to operate at full power, company officials said.“

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