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Released October 22, 2025 | SUGAR LAND
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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Three months after receiving official approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to shift back to operational status, the Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan received its first fuel, although there is still work to be completed so the plant can reopen. This is the first time a previously shuttered U.S. nuclear plant has received approval to reopen, and the NRC also is looking at extending several nuclear plant operational licenses.
Once returned to service, the Palisades plant would generate more than 800 megawatts of power--enough to power more than 800,000 households. Palisades began operating in 1971 but was closed in 2022 by then-owner Entergy (New Orleans, Louisiana), which sold the facility to Holtec International (Jupiter, Florida) for decommissioning. Holtec then submitted a filing with the NRC in late 2023 to formally begin the process of seeking federal authorization to repower the facility.
In a related press release, Holtec provided further construction updates: Equipment restoration work is progressing, and reassembly of the main turbine generator is underway. In addition, the second (and last) fully refurbished primary coolant pump (PCP) motor, which is essential to recirculate the reactor coolant, is now installed.
Following the announcement, Nick Culp, Senior Manager of Government Affairs and Communications for Holtec, provided another update, telling local Michigan daily news service Moody on the Market that there's no official date set for the restart, but it remains on track for late this year.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project and Plant databases can learn more by viewing the project report and Palisades plant profile.
The near-completed Palisades restart is just one example of the NRC's efforts to boost U.S. nuclear generation: In September, the agency granted NextEra Energy Incorporated's (Juno Beach, Florida) request to extend the operating license for units 1 and 2 at the Point Beach Nuclear Power Station in Wisconsin; the license for Unit 1 will now expire in October 2050, and Unit 2 in March 2053. According to NextEra, the two units supply about 14% of Wisconsin's total electricity. Subscribers can click here for the plant profile.
NextEra, through its Florida Power & Light (FPL) unit, also is seeking approval from the NRC to extend the operational license for units 1 and 2 at the Saint Lucie Nuclear Power Station in Florida for an additional 20 years. The application is under review, and the NRC website indicates a draft supplemental environmental impact statement could come as soon as this month. Unit 1 is wholly owned and operated by FPL, while FPL is the majority owner (about 85%) of Unit 2. FPL "has exclusive responsibility and control over the physical construction, operation, and maintenance of the facility," according to the draft statement. Subscribers can click here for the plant profile.
The NRC also is wrapping up its review of the operational license for Constellation Energy's (Baltimore, Maryland) Dresden nuclear power plant outside Chicago, Illinois: The agency recently published the final environmental impact statement for the application and determined the environmental impacts of renewing the license for an additional 20 years do not prohibit the plant from reopening, paving the way for a final decision potentially by the end of the year. The approval would allow the plant to operate for up to 80 years, until December 2049 and January 2051 for units 2 and 3, respectively. Subscribers can click here for a plant profile.
The NRC also is reviewing Constellation's application to extend the license for its Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois, which the company expects will be supported by the company's 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Meta Platforms Incorporated (Menlo Park, California) for the full output from Clinton's single, operational reactor (1.21 gigawatts.)
Constellation is in the process of restarting another nuclear plant with a 20-year PPA in place, with Microsoft Corporation (Redmond, Washington), aimed at powering the prodigious U.S. data center buildout: the former Three Mile Island nuclear power station in Pennsylvania, to be renamed the Crane Clean Energy Center.
Crane could be online in 2027, while offtake from Clinton will start in June 2027. The Clinton agreement will keep the plant operational into 2047 by supporting the "relicensing and continued operations," according to a press release.
Subscribers can read detailed plant profiles for the Crane and Clinton nuclear stations, and click here for projects related to the Crane Clean Energy Center restart.
For more information on the buildout of nuclear power generation across the U.S. and the Trump administration's efforts to boost capacity, see September 8, 2025, articles - Conference: Nuclear is in Great Shape to Power U.S., Texas Grids, and Nuclear Energy Tops Trump's Agenda.
In May, Trump signed four executive orders aimed at boosting U.S. nuclear generation capacity from approximately 100 gigawatts (GW) in 2024 to 400 GW by 2050.
Among the orders' components are prioritizing federal loans and loan guarantees for nuclear projects--including restarts--and a mandate instructing the NRC to streamline regulatory and licenses processes, in an effort to shrink the timeline for approving new applications to 18 months and one year for existing renewals.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
Once returned to service, the Palisades plant would generate more than 800 megawatts of power--enough to power more than 800,000 households. Palisades began operating in 1971 but was closed in 2022 by then-owner Entergy (New Orleans, Louisiana), which sold the facility to Holtec International (Jupiter, Florida) for decommissioning. Holtec then submitted a filing with the NRC in late 2023 to formally begin the process of seeking federal authorization to repower the facility.
In a related press release, Holtec provided further construction updates: Equipment restoration work is progressing, and reassembly of the main turbine generator is underway. In addition, the second (and last) fully refurbished primary coolant pump (PCP) motor, which is essential to recirculate the reactor coolant, is now installed.
Following the announcement, Nick Culp, Senior Manager of Government Affairs and Communications for Holtec, provided another update, telling local Michigan daily news service Moody on the Market that there's no official date set for the restart, but it remains on track for late this year.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project and Plant databases can learn more by viewing the project report and Palisades plant profile.
The near-completed Palisades restart is just one example of the NRC's efforts to boost U.S. nuclear generation: In September, the agency granted NextEra Energy Incorporated's (Juno Beach, Florida) request to extend the operating license for units 1 and 2 at the Point Beach Nuclear Power Station in Wisconsin; the license for Unit 1 will now expire in October 2050, and Unit 2 in March 2053. According to NextEra, the two units supply about 14% of Wisconsin's total electricity. Subscribers can click here for the plant profile.
NextEra, through its Florida Power & Light (FPL) unit, also is seeking approval from the NRC to extend the operational license for units 1 and 2 at the Saint Lucie Nuclear Power Station in Florida for an additional 20 years. The application is under review, and the NRC website indicates a draft supplemental environmental impact statement could come as soon as this month. Unit 1 is wholly owned and operated by FPL, while FPL is the majority owner (about 85%) of Unit 2. FPL "has exclusive responsibility and control over the physical construction, operation, and maintenance of the facility," according to the draft statement. Subscribers can click here for the plant profile.
The NRC also is wrapping up its review of the operational license for Constellation Energy's (Baltimore, Maryland) Dresden nuclear power plant outside Chicago, Illinois: The agency recently published the final environmental impact statement for the application and determined the environmental impacts of renewing the license for an additional 20 years do not prohibit the plant from reopening, paving the way for a final decision potentially by the end of the year. The approval would allow the plant to operate for up to 80 years, until December 2049 and January 2051 for units 2 and 3, respectively. Subscribers can click here for a plant profile.
The NRC also is reviewing Constellation's application to extend the license for its Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois, which the company expects will be supported by the company's 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Meta Platforms Incorporated (Menlo Park, California) for the full output from Clinton's single, operational reactor (1.21 gigawatts.)
Constellation is in the process of restarting another nuclear plant with a 20-year PPA in place, with Microsoft Corporation (Redmond, Washington), aimed at powering the prodigious U.S. data center buildout: the former Three Mile Island nuclear power station in Pennsylvania, to be renamed the Crane Clean Energy Center.
Crane could be online in 2027, while offtake from Clinton will start in June 2027. The Clinton agreement will keep the plant operational into 2047 by supporting the "relicensing and continued operations," according to a press release.
Subscribers can read detailed plant profiles for the Crane and Clinton nuclear stations, and click here for projects related to the Crane Clean Energy Center restart.
For more information on the buildout of nuclear power generation across the U.S. and the Trump administration's efforts to boost capacity, see September 8, 2025, articles - Conference: Nuclear is in Great Shape to Power U.S., Texas Grids, and Nuclear Energy Tops Trump's Agenda.
In May, Trump signed four executive orders aimed at boosting U.S. nuclear generation capacity from approximately 100 gigawatts (GW) in 2024 to 400 GW by 2050.
Among the orders' components are prioritizing federal loans and loan guarantees for nuclear projects--including restarts--and a mandate instructing the NRC to streamline regulatory and licenses processes, in an effort to shrink the timeline for approving new applications to 18 months and one year for existing renewals.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
