Recommissioning & Restarts

Holtec’s Palisades Nuclear Plant is inching closer to potential restart as ​the Nuclear Regulatory Commission intends to approve six licensing actions this week for the Michigan plant.   In a July 17 notification of significant licensing action, NRC staff said it intends to green light key issues for plant restart. By July 24, staff will “issue […]

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) signed two bills into law last week designed to further nuclear research and deployment in the state. Senate Bill 124, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 11, will create a board to advance in-state nuclear power and fusion technology and host a Wisconsin nuclear summit. Senate Bill 125, now 2025 Wisconsin Act […]

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) signed two bills into law last week designed to further nuclear research and deployment in the state. Senate Bill 124, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 11, will create a board to advance in-state nuclear power and fusion technology and host a Wisconsin nuclear summit. Senate Bill 125, now 2025 Wisconsin Act […]

A Nuclear Regulatory Commission Atomic Safety and Licensing Board panel has rejected the latest contentions filed by citizen groups against restart of the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan. The three-judge Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) panel ruled on June 20 against the petitioning organizations of Beyond Nuclear, Don’t Waste Michigan, Michigan Safe Energy Future, […]

A Nuclear Regulatory Commission Atomic Safety and Licensing Board panel has rejected the latest contentions filed by citizen groups against restart of the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan. The three-judge Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) panel ruled on June 20 against the petitioning organizations of Beyond Nuclear, Don’t Waste Michigan, Michigan Safe Energy Future, […]

The Department of Energy has released its fourth loan reimbursement to Holtec for about $100 million to support efforts to restart the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan.  Secretary of Energy Chris Wright made the announcement this past Friday, saying that the efforts to restart the Palisades plant further align with one of President Donald Trump’s […]

The Department of Energy has released its fourth loan reimbursement to Holtec for about $100 million to support efforts to restart the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan.  Secretary of Energy Chris Wright made the announcement this past Friday, saying that the efforts to restart the Palisades plant further align with one of President Donald Trump’s […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued the final environmental assessment for the Palisades nuclear plant finding no significant impacts. Holtec previously purchased the Covert Township, Mich. nuclear plant from Entergy to decommission it. However, the company has changed plans and has made an effort to restart the plant. In cooperation with the Department of Energy’s […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued the final environmental assessment for the Palisades nuclear plant finding no significant impacts. Holtec previously purchased the Covert Township, Mich. nuclear plant from Entergy to decommission it. However, the company has changed plans and has made an effort to restart the plant. In cooperation with the Department of Energy’s […]

EnergySolutions, Salt Lake City, said Tuesday it is planning to seek an Early Site Permit from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission at the shuttered Kewaunee nuclear power plant in Wisconsin. The company is collaborating with WEC Energy Group (WEC) to explore new nuclear generation in Wisconsin, EnergySolutions said in a press release. WEC is a Milwaukee-based […]

EnergySolutions, Salt Lake City, said Tuesday it is planning to seek an Early Site Permit from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission at the shuttered Kewaunee nuclear power plant in Wisconsin. The company is collaborating with WEC Energy Group (WEC) to explore new nuclear generation in Wisconsin, EnergySolutions said in a press release. WEC is a Milwaukee-based […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will hear oral arguments May 15 on an amended petition by several organizations opposing the staff environmental assessment for restart of the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan.  Joint petitioners Beyond Nuclear, Don’t Waste Michigan, Michigan Safe Energy Future, Three Mile Island Alert and Nuclear Energy Information […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will hear oral arguments May 15 on a petition by several organizations opposing the staff environmental assessment for restart of the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan.  Joint petitioners Beyond Nuclear, Don’t Waste Michigan, Michigan Safe Energy Future, Three Mile Island Alert and Nuclear Energy Information Service […]

The Department of Energy said on Tuesday it is awarding Holtec its third loan reimbursement worth $46.7 million to support the company’s efforts to restart the Palisades nuclear plant. The loan comes as another installment of the DOE’s $1.52 billion loan guarantee for the restart of Palisades, an 800 megawatt plant in Michigan. Last month, […]

The Department of Energy said on Tuesday it is awarding Holtec its third loan reimbursement worth $46.7 million to support the company’s efforts to restart the Palisades nuclear plant. The loan comes as another installment of the DOE’s $1.52 billion loan guarantee for the restart of Palisades, an 800 megawatt plant in Michigan. Last month, […]

A three-judge panel for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board denied the requested hearing challenging plans to restart the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan in a 2-1 vote. In a 71-page ruling made on March 31, the NRC Atomic Safety and Licensing Board stated, “we conclude that Joint Petitioners and Petitioning Organizations […]

A three-judge panel for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board denied the requested hearing challenging plans to restart the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan. In a 71-page ruling made on March 31, the NRC Atomic Safety and Licensing Board stated, “we conclude that Joint Petitioners and Petitioning Organizations have demonstrated standing to […]

The Department of Energy said Monday it is awarding Holtec the second phase of a federal loan, this chunk worth nearly $57 million, to go toward reviving the closed Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan. Providing it wins the necessary Nuclear Regulatory Commission approvals, the 800-megawatt facility would effectively become the nation’s first restart of […]

The Department of Energy said Monday it is awarding Holtec the second phase of a federal loan, this chunk worth nearly $57 million, to go toward reviving the closed Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan. Providing it wins the necessary Nuclear Regulatory Commission approvals, the 800-megawatt facility would effectively become the nation’s first restart of […]

A report the Energy Communities Alliance is rolling out this week at the Waste Management Symposia in Phoenix says existing Department of Energy nuclear installations and other electric power sites are increasingly being targeted for new reactors. The Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) report is titled “From the Atomic Age to New Nuclear: Energy Communities Ready […]

Holtec and Hyundai Engineering & Construction Tuesday announced another step in their plans to develop new small modular reactors at the currently-closed Palisade nuclear plant site in Covert, Mich. Holtec and the South Korea-based construction company said in a Tuesday press release they are making headway in their effort to develop small modular reactors (SMRs) […]

Holtec and Hyundai Engineering & Construction Tuesday announced another step in their plans to develop new small modular reactors at the currently-closed Palisade nuclear plant site in Covert, Mich. Holtec and the South Korea-based construction company said in a Tuesday press release they are making headway in their effort to develop small modular reactors (SMRs) […]

Various citizen groups and some local landowners this week urged a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) panel to reject a request from Holtec to revive the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan. “Holtec’s proposal to resurrect Palisades on the basis of incomplete and outdated documentation—along with an unsupported request for exemptions—does not satisfy the standards,” according to […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has found no big environmental harm should result from Holtec International’s proposed restart of the 800-megawatt Palisades nuclear power plant in Covert, Mich. Between now and March 3, the NRC is taking public comment on its draft environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact, according to a Federal Register […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has found no big environmental harm should result from Holtec International’s proposed restart of the 800-megawatt Palisades nuclear power plant in Covert, Mich. Between now and March 3, the NRC is taking public comment on its draft environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact, according to a Federal Register […]

Florida-based NextEra Energy said during its fourth quarter earnings report Friday it is shooting for a 2028 restart of its Duane Arnold nuclear power plant in Iowa. “Recently, the company filed notice with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to request a licensing change—an important first step in establishing the regulatory pathway to restore the facility’s operating […]

Florida-based NextEra Energy said during its fourth quarter earnings report Friday it is shooting for a 2028 restart of its Duane Arnold nuclear power plant in Iowa. “Recently, the company filed notice with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to request a licensing change—an important first step in establishing the regulatory pathway to restore the facility’s operating […]

Friends of the Earth this week withdrew a federal lawsuit seeking to stop payment of $1.1 billion federal bailout of California’s last nuclear power plant, court papers show. The judge in the case on Thursday dismissed the suit without prejudice, meaning the environmentalists could sue again. The group dropped the suit, filed in April, after […]

Approving the restart of a Michigan nuclear plant by August will be “demanding,” federal regulators said Tuesday, and there is more work ahead than the plant’s owner may realize. That was the takeaway from senior Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff during their hybrid public meeting at commission headquarters in Rockville, Md., with Holtec International, owner of the Palisades […]

Friends of the Earth on Wednesday withdrew a federal lawsuit seeking to stop payment of $1.1 billion federal bailout of California’s last nuclear power plant, court papers show. The group dropped the suit, filed in April, after Diablo Canyon Owner Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E) revealed Jan. 6 that its plans to extend the […]