The Palisades Power Plant on the shores of Lake Michigan had become a piece of history, a relic of an era when nuclear energy was viewed as the future.
The reactor in Covert, Michigan, about 70 miles of southwest of Grand Rapids, ceased operations in May 2022 after providing power to the industrial Midwestern state for more than 40 years.
The closure was part of a decade-long wave of reactor shutdowns in the U.S., as nuclear power struggled to compete against cheap, abundant natural gas in the wake of the shale boom and the rapid expansion renewable energy.
Plus, the power source had long been controversial, with opponents who feared the consequences of waste produced by the process or the potential of radiation leaks in the event of an accident.
But Palisades is now poised to become the first reactor in U.S. history to reopen after shutting down. Lawmakers on both sides of the political divide, tech companies and leading utilities increasingly view nuclear as a crucial source of reliable, carbon-free energy to supply rising electricity demand in the U.S. while slashing emissions to address climate change.
Holtec International, the privately held owner of the Palisades, aims for the plant to resume operations by the end of 2025 with the support of up to $1.5 billion in loans from the Department of Energy and $300 million in grants from the state of Michigan.
The plans to reopen Palisades are under review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. If successful, Palisades could provide a road map for other mothballed plants to resume operations such as Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania.
“It’s a bridge to our small modular reactor program,” Kelly Trice, president of Holtec, said in a nod to its long-term plan to nearly double the facility’s power generation in 2030 with small modular reactors. The new technology, which could become the first of its kind on the U.S. grid, promises to speed deployment of nuclear plants in the future.
“Our goal is to be able to increase plants in the country and elsewhere in the world with small modular reactors,” he said.
As well as it should be. Here are just some random thoughts on all this.
Obiden, ( bless his heart ) wants to eliminate all gas appliances. Stoves, water heaters, furnaces etc. ect.
No amount of wind power or solar panels will make up the difference for the increase in electrical needs if all of Obidens dreams come true. There are states that want / will ban the sale of ICE cars by 2030 – 2035. Or at least have over 50% sales from EV’s. No amount of wind or solar power will make up the increase needed to power these vehicles. Here is the ways that this country produces energy. Hydroelectric power plants. ( we’re not building anymore dams anywhere for this to happen. ) Coal fired power plants. ( they seem to be closing them down left and right ) Oil fired power plants. ( they were meant to take the place of coal fired power plants. ) Wind and solar power generation stations. ( If the wind doesn’t blow or if the sun is hidden, no power is made ) So that leaves us with nuclear power plants. It’s clean energy for those environmentalist wackos.
Nuclear is the only alternative power source to hold enough potential to deal with worldwide, longterm energy needs.