Holtec International’s plans to restart the Palisades NPP in Covert Township, Michigan, by the end of 2025 have now been pushed back to early 2026. Palisades will be the first US NPP to restart following its closure for decommissioning.
The single-unit 800 MWe pressurised water reactor on the shores of Lake Michigan began commercial operation in 1971. In 2016 operator Entergy announced 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.
In October, Palisades received 68 nuclear fuel assemblies, marking a key milestone on the path to restarting the plant. In September Energy Secretary Chris Wright had released the sixth loan disbursement to Holtec to help fund the restart. This was part of the up to $1.52bn in federal loan guarantees to Holtec for Palisades. The state of Michigan gave $150m to support the restart project. In August, the plant officially transitioned from decommissioning to operational status under NRC oversight following approval of Holtec’s licensing package to reauthorise power operations.
Holtec had planned to resume generating electricity at Palisades by the end of this year. However, with repairs incomplete, that timeline has now been pushed back. “We are planning for a Palisades restart in early 2026, following completion of ongoing project activities,” said Holtec spokesperson Nick Culp.
The was a significant setback in 2024, when an inspection found that thousands of tubes from the plant’s steam generator were cracked and needed repair. Holtec moved forward with a plan to insert sleeves into the tubes to fortify them. Federal regulators have given initial approval for the plant to return to operating status, but more work needs to be done.
