Palisades Nuclear Power Plant recently reached a “major milestone” in the effort to restart power generation, according to owner Holtec International.
Holtec shared an update on the “methodical march” toward restart July 2, including the completion of the site’s last “major projects” and a shift to maintenance, testing, inspection and “operational readiness activities.”
The final round of projects included placing the plant’s turbine generator on the turning gear after “extensive inspections, maintenance, testing and refurbishment” and installing and testing a new “state-of-the-art” fuel handling machine.
Previous efforts included reactor vessel inspections, the replacement of reactor head penetrations, steam generator tube refurbishment, the receipt of new fuel, operator training and requalification.
“These accomplishments reflect the tremendous amount of work performed across the station throughout the restart effort,” wrote Enterprise Unit Head Steven Soler and Site Vice President Michael Schultheis. “The plant is coming back together, and the professionalism and dedication demonstrated by our workforce continue to move the project forward.”
While major activites are complete, the organization wrote “more than 5,000” smaller checklist items remain. Holtec hasn’t shared a projected restart date — having missed a goal of final quarter 2025 — instead stating the plant will return to operation once work is complete and all “federal requirements and industry standards are met.”
“As we enter the final phase of this historic effort, we are grateful for the support provided by our federal, state, and community partners, whose collaboration has helped make this pioneering effort possible,” Holtec Chairman and CEO Kris Singh wrote in the release. “The (restart) will forever serve as lasting evidence of what can be accomplished when government and private industry work together to achieve an important national objective.”
The resumption of power operations at Palisades has received support from various levels of government, including Allegan County, Michigan and the U.S. Department of Energy, which granted a $1.52 billion loan.
It’s also seen opposition, including several challenges from a coalition of environmental groups. The coalition filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan to halt restart operations in November, contesting an exemption from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
That lawsuit, however, has been dismissed, according to a release from the Department of Justice on July 1. The release states the lawsuit should’ve instead been filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals.
If successful, Palisades will be the first restarted nuclear reactor in the U.S.
Holtec is also seeking to build two small modular reactors, SMR-300s, at Palisades — which would add at least 600 megawatts to the plant’s 800-megawatt generating capacity. The project received federal funding support in late 2025.
Learn more at nrc.gov/info-finder/reactors/pali.html.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: When will Palisades come back online? When it’s ready, officials say
Reporting by Mitchell Boatman, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mitchell Boatman, Holland Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
