After three years in decommissioning, the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan is on the brink of restarting, Holtec announced Tuesday.
According to Holtec’s Tuesday press release, Palisades was granted operational status by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Monday. The Michigan nuclear plant is the first U.S. to move from decommissioning back to operational status, Holtec said.
While Palisades has been cleared to receive fuel, it still cannot fully restart until Holtec meets all the conditions of their operating license, an NRC spokesperson told Exchange Monitor. In addition, Holtec said there is still extensive ongoing project work to be done at the site, including repairs to steam generators.
Palisades milestone comes after NRC approved a slew of licensing actions last month, the company said.
NRC resident inspectors and specialists are observing and independently assessing how Holtec is complying with NRC standards, according to the NRC spokesperson.
While Holtec sees Palisades operational status as a win, environmental groups have condemned NRC’s Palisades decision. Beyond Nuclear’s spokesperson Kevin Kamps blasted the Palisades’ restart.
“Holtec’s Palisades zombie reactor restart scheme is not only unprecedented, but also unneeded, insanely expensive for taxpayers and ratepayers, and very risky for health, safety, security, and the environment,” Kamps said in an emailed statement.
Beyond Nuclear, along with other groups, have made numerous attempts to challenge the restart of the Michigan plant.
Palisades is an 800-megawatt nuclear plant located in Covert Township, Mich. that previously ceased operations in 2022.
