COVERT TOWNSHIP, MI – A last-ditch effort to restart the Palisades Nuclear Plant has failed.
The proposal to restart the nuclear power plant along Lake Michigan was contingent on approval from the federal government, which was denied last week.
The plant on the shores of Lake Michigan shut down its nuclear reactors for the last time May 20. Holtec International bought the plant June 28, with the goal of decommissioning the plant by 2041.
Holtec applied for U.S. Department of Energy’s Civilian Nuclear Credit program, which would allow them to restart the plant. That application was denied by the federal agency, Holtec announced Friday, Nov. 18.
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The closure was in part because of financial issues and because fuel is running out, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said previously. The shutdown was announced in 2017.
“We fully understood that what we were attempting to do, restarting a shuttered nuclear plant, would be both a challenge and a first for the nuclear industry,” Holtec said Monday, Nov. 21, in an email statement. “While the DOE’s decision is not the outcome many had hoped for, we entered this process committed to working with our federal, state, and community partners to see if the plant could be repowered to return to service as a provider of safe, reliable, and carbon-free generation.”
Whitmer supported the application. In April, Whitmer asked for federal dollars to keep the plant open in Van Buren County. She then created a coalition to help create a plan to reopen Palisades, Bobby Leddy, a spokesperson for the governor, said in an emailed statement.
“Thanks to our strong partnership with utilities, the state continues to have enough energy to meet the needs of families, communities, and small businesses,” Leddy said. “We will continue to support those who are impacted and the community.”
Related: ‘It changed my life:’ Longtime Palisades employees reminisce as nuclear plant closes
The 800-megawatt nuclear plant started operations in 1971 in Covert Township, about 7 miles south of South Haven. Around 170 employees transferred to other Entergy facilities. About 90 employees retired, and about 225 employees stayed at Palisades for the decommissioning.
Holtec will continue to find solutions to meet energy needs, the company said in the statement. Employees are focused on safely decommissioning Palisades, which may allow the site to be reused, Holtec said.
“Our thanks to our team at Palisades who are leading its decommissioning and for whom the health and safety of our community remain the highest priority,” Holtec said.
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