In the face of high demand from data centers, power generation companies are working hard to bring online previously retired nuclear facilities. In Michigan, the previously decommissioned Palisades nuclear plant, owned by Holtec International, was recently brought back to operational status and is planned to restart energy production later this year. Holtec explained:
With this transition, Palisades is now authorized to receive nuclear fuel and restart the plant once allowable conditions are met within the approved Technical Specifications. The plant’s Emergency Plan is fully active, supported by a trained and engaged Emergency Response Organization, which completed its FEMA/NRC-graded exercise with local and state partners last month. These steps position Palisades squarely in the final phase of restart preparations, as inspections, testing, and maintenance continue under rigorous independent federal oversight.
When Palisades returns to service, it will produce more than 800 megawatts of safe, clean, and baseload electricity – enough to power over 800,000 homes and businesses. Beyond strengthening Michigan’s energy security, this achievement signals a historic first for the nuclear industry and reinforces the essential role of nuclear power in America’s energy future.
And Holtec isn’t the only company planning to bring decommissioned nuclear generation back online to feed America’s rising demand for electricity. Constellation Energy is working to bring the Crane Clean Energy Center (formerly known as Three Mile Island Unit 1) back online to serve a power purchase agreement with Microsoft. Constellation wrote:
Constellation (Nasdaq: CEG) announced today the signing of a 20-year power purchase agreement with Microsoft that will pave the way for the launch of the Crane Clean Energy Center (CCEC) and restart of Three Mile Island Unit 1, which operated at industry-leading levels of safety and reliability for decades before being shut down for economic reasons exactly five years ago today. Under the agreement, Microsoft will purchase energy from the renewed plant as part of its goal to help match the power its data centers in PJM use with carbon-free energy.
“Powering industries critical to our nation’s global economic and technological competitiveness, including data centers, requires an abundance of energy that is carbon-free and reliable every hour of every day, and nuclear plants are the only energy sources that can consistently deliver on that promise,” said Joe Dominguez, president and CEO, Constellation. “Before it was prematurely shuttered due to poor economics, this plant was among the safest and most reliable nuclear plants on the grid, and we look forward to bringing it back with a new name and a renewed mission to serve as an economic engine for Pennsylvania. We are especially honored to name this new plant after our former CEO Chris Crane, who was a fierce advocate for our business, devoting his entire career to the safe, reliable operation of our nation’s nuclear fleet, and we will continue that legacy at the Crane Clean Energy Center.”
The Unit 1 reactor is located adjacent to TMI Unit 2, which shut down in 1979 and is in the process of being decommissioned by its owner, Energy Solutions. TMI Unit 1 is a fully independent facility, and its long-term operation was not impacted by the Unit 2 accident. To prepare for the restart, significant investments will be made to restore the plant, including the turbine, generator, main power transformer and cooling and control systems. Restarting a nuclear reactor requires U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval following a comprehensive safety and environmental review, as well as permits from relevant state and local agencies. Additionally, through a separate request, Constellation will pursue license renewal that will extend plant operations to at least 2054. The CCEC is expected to be online in 2028.
“This agreement is a major milestone in Microsoft’s efforts to help decarbonize the grid in support of our commitment to become carbon negative. Microsoft continues to collaborate with energy providers to develop carbon-free energy sources to help meet the grids’ capacity and reliability needs,” said Bobby Hollis, VP of Energy, Microsoft.
In Iowa, FERC has approved a waiver request from NextEra Energy to restart the Duane Arnold nuclear power facility, the state’s only nuclear power plant.
The nuclear renaissance may already be upon America. With major facilities being brought back online and lots of interest in the development of small modular reactors, this could be the dawn of a new nuclear era in the United States. Read more about nuclear here:
- Is Google Pioneering the Future of Nuclear Power?
- New Nuclear Pact Signed
- Is America Poised for Next Gen Nuclear Power?
- The Push for Small Nuclear Reactors
- Is Nuclear Powered Tech the Future?
- Is a Wave of Nuclear Development About to Hit?
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