Holtec International has announced that its 800 MW Palisades nuclear power plant has returned to operational status after being decommissioned for three years. Although the power plant is not generating electricity, its change of status allows it to receive new fuel to power the reactors once the final inspections and reassembly of the plant is complete. Once in service, the Palisades should produce enough power to supply over 800,000 homes and businesses.
The Palisades is located in Michigan (US) and it had originally ceased operations in May 2022 under a different owner. In late 2023, Holtec started filing requests to restart the nuclear power plant, and in July 2025 it received the approval to restart the Palisades under its original operating license (set to expire in March 2031), making it the first nuclear power plant to return to operations after being decommissioned.
Holtec expects to also install two SMR’s of 300 MW each on the site at the beginning of the next decade.