Palisades Nuclear Power Plant receives new fuel ahead of historic restart
The Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in West Michigan has moved one step closer to becoming the first shuttered commercial nuclear power plant in the U.S. to reopen.
The power plant's owner, Holtec International, said crews recently received 68 assemblies of new nuclear fuel after earning "operations status" in August from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
"The esprit de corps of our tirelessly toiling worker force, over 1,800 strong boosted by the stout support of federal, state, and local government as well as our industry partners, labor, and the Southwest Michigan community, is a testament to the national consensus and our collective will to harness nuclear energy to meet the galloping demand for power in our country," said Holtec International CEO, Dr. Kris Singh, in a statement.
Located along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Covert, Palisades first opened in December 1971 before Entergy closed the plant in May 2022.
Holtech International purchased the closed plant in June 2022 with the initial intent to dismantle it. However, those plans soon changed as customers were confirmed for the power supply, and an extensive cleaning, reassembly, maintenance and updating process began.
The U.S. Department of Energy approved a federal loan in 2024 to assist in the plant's reopening efforts, and three rounds of funding were allocated from that money. In July, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it planned to approve the plant's operating license.
While Holtec International has not yet announced when the power plant is expected to restart, the operation effort includes the work of over 600 nuclear professionals supported by more than 1,000 contractors, vendors and suppliers.
The company expects the 800-megawatt plant to serve more than 800,000 homes and businesses once it resumes operation.
In addition to the fuel receipt, Holtec International says work is underway to reassemble the plant's main turbine generator, and crews have installed the final refurbished primary coolant pump motor, used to recirculate the reactor coolant. Other clearing and restorative efforts are ongoing.