The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved Holtec International’s license termination plan for the decommissioning of Oyster Creek Generating Station in New Jersey, the company said Thursday.
Holtec said in a press release this regulatory approval opens the door for it to move forward with plans to build four small modular reactors (SMRs) at the Oyster Creek site. The four SMRs would be a part of a hybrid power plant that would also include a solar field and battery storage.
The license termination plan approval gives the company a clear path for the final stages of decommissioning, Oyster Creek Site Vice President Jeff Dostal said in the release. It also sets the stage for developing new nuclear generation at the site, something Holtec has been talking about for months.
The company filed its license termination plan for Oyster Creek in August 2024. The documents address remaining work, such as plans for site remediation and remaining demolition. The company modified the plan in May 2025, indicating it will conclude Oyster Creek decommissioning by 2029. NRC staff accepted the modified plan for review in June 2025.
“With the decommissioning and dismantlement of the site more than halfway complete, this approval reflects the coordinated efforts of Holtec’s various departments,” Holtec said.
As a result, Holtec will not attempt to restart the sole boiling water reactor unit. The company has been keen on bringing in new nuclear generation, with the potential of adding data centers to the site, according to the release.
Holtec has discussed plans to use the Oyster Creek site for a new power plant for months. In August 2025, Holtec CEO Kris Singh and president Kelly Trice spoke before a joint session of New Jersey’s Senate Environment and Energy Committee and Assembly Environment, Natural Resources and Solid Waste Committee.
During that session, Holtec officials floated the idea of using the shuttered nuclear site for the “first nuclear-solar” hybrid power plant. For the SMRs, Holtec plans to use its SMR-300 units, pressurized water reactors with a generating capacity of 320 megawatts. The proposed site would produce a combined 1,360 megawatts of electricity, Holtec said.
Oyster Creek was a single boiling water unit that had a generating capacity of 650 megawatts. The plant, which was previously the oldest operating commercial reactor, was shut down by Exelon in 2018 and was bought by Holtec for decommissioning in 2019.
Holtec continues to move forward with its plans to add new nuclear generation at the site as the state seeks more of a baseload energy source. New Jersey, under Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D), lifted its 40-year-plus nuclear moratorium in April, to enable new nuclear construction.
On July 13, Sherrill signed a law, Power NJ Act, to start the procurement process to add at least 1,100 megawatts of new nuclear energy. The bill garnered bipartisan support in the state’s Senate and Assembly.