Holtec looks to deploy four small modular reactors at Oyster Creek

Holtec executives advocate to New Jersey lawmakers for a new nuclear and solar hybrid power plant at a decommissioning nuclear site in Lacey Township, N.J. amid a growing energy demand.

Holtec CEO Kris Singh and president Kelly Trice testified at a joint session of New Jersey’s Senate Environment and Energy Committee and Assembly Environment, Natural Resources and Solid Waste Committee on Aug. 14.

During the joint session, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities president Christine Guhl-Sadovy said New Jersey, just like a majority of the United States, is seeing increasing energy demands driven by data centers.

In efforts to address growing energy needs, Holtec unveiled a plan of deploying four of its small modular reactors, 300 megawatt SMR-300s, while constructing a large solar field and battery storage center at the former Oyster Creek Generating Station site.

The proposed plant would be the first nuclear-solar hybrid power plant and would produce over 1,350 megawatts of electricity, according to Holtec’s Monday press release.

The Oyster Creek plant was a single boiling reactor with the capacity of around 650 megawatts. It first began operation in 1969 and was permanently shut down in 2018. Holtec bought the 800-acre Lacey Township property in 2019 and has been decommissioning it.

During the session, Trice also shared visions of the Oyster Creek site reflecting a similar situation to the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan.

Palisades, an 800-megawatt plant, ceased operations in 2022 and is on the verge of becoming the first U.S. nuclear plant to restart operations after being shut down, thanks to federal and state bipartisan support, Trice said in the press release.

Along with Palisades returning to operations soon, Holtec is planning to deploy its SMR-300 at the Michigan nuclear site.

With Holtec having a headquarters in Camden, N.J. and having already acquired the Oyster Creek site, Singh and Trice urged the State legislature to “seize the moment”, according to the press release.

Nuclear energy is nothing new in the state of New Jersey as in 2023 nuclear power made up 42% of the state’s electricity generation, according to the Energy Information Administration.