The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued the final environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for Holtec’s request to return the Palisades NPP in Covert, Michigan, to an operational status. The report contains the NRC staff’s evaluation and conclusion that there are no significant environmental impacts from restarting Palisades. NRC conducted an environmental review with the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Loan Programs Office (LPO) as a cooperating agency.
The single-unit 800 MWe pressurised water reactor began commercial operation in 1971. Operator Entergy announced in 2016 plans to close the plant. In 2021 NRC approved transfer of the licence from Entergy to Holtec in preparation for its decommissioning.
The reactor was removed from service by Entergy in May 2022, and defueled, and its sale to Holtec completed in June 2022. However, Holtec then announced that it was applying for federal funding to allow restart of the plant. Starting in late 2023, Holtec filed several licensing requests that, if approved, could return the plant to operational status. In April, DOE through the LPO announced the offer of a conditional commitment of up to $1.52bn as a loan guarantee to restart the plant, which was subsequently confirmed.
In April, DOE Secretary Chris Wright announced the release of the third loan disbursement to Holtec for the reopening of the Palisades NPP. This released $46,709,358 from the loan guarantee to Holtec for the Palisades plant. A second disbursement of $56,787,300 was announced in March.
NRC is now considering an exemption request, a licence transfer request, and licence amendment requests (LARs) that, if approved, would collectively support reauthorising power operations, and refuelling of the reactor under the existing Palisades Renewed Facility Operating Licence (RFOL). DOE LPO’s proposed action is to provide Federal financial support to support refuelling and resumption of power generation activities.
