Michigan nuclear plant will restart to deliver new power to rural communities

A nuclear plant in Michigan is closer to restarting thanks to a $1.5 billion loan from the federal government.

The US Department of Energy will give a loan to the Palisades nuclear plant in Covert Township, Michigan. The plant is slated to restart in 2025, powering some 800,000 homes and bringing about 600 new jobs to the area.

Nuclear reactors are hugely expensive to refurbish, especially ones that were almost sure to be shuttered forever like the Palisades plant was slated to be until very recently.

Two cooperatives that provide power to south and southwestern Michigan said they’re going to use energy from the reactor to power rural communities.

But neighbors who live near the reactor have long been concerned about nuclear waste. They have appealed to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to make sure that the reactor opens in accordance with all relevant regulations.

“We’re not sure that anything we say could stop the NSC from approving Palisades,” said Alan Blind, who lives near the plant. “But please, please, please NSC — take the time to do it right.”

Holtec International, the company behind the revitalization of the reactor, says that it is doing everything it can to follow regulations and conduct the restart in a safe manner for that community.

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The planned restart is the latest in a nationwide trend of bringing older reactors back online to meet new power needs.

Constellation Energy announced in September of 2024 it planned to bring the Unit 1 reactor at Three Mile Island back into operation and keep it running for decades.

Microsoft has signed a 20-year agreement to buy power from Constellation’s operation. It plans to use the energy to make its data centers in the region more environmentally friendly.