COVERT — With its zero carbon emissions, the Biden administration is all in on nuclear energy to address the climate crisis. Today it sent officials to the Palisades nuclear plant, which hopes to become the nation’s first to restart after shutting down.
It’s been closed for two years but the Palisades nuclear plant in Covert Township is making a comeback. The federal government is loaning Florida-based Holtec International $1.5 billion to reopen the plant, and that’s scheduled to happen a year from now in October 2025.
The plant, on Lake Michigan between Benton Harbor and South Haven, can generate up to 800 megawatts, enough to power 800,000 homes. The state of Michigan also is contributing $300 million. Governor Gretchen Witmer moved quickly to pursue the reopening as soon as former owner Entergy announced plans to close in 2022.
On Monday Holtec hosted a media event to celebrate the loan’s final approval. In addition to the federal and state subsidies, the project also is driven by Holtec’s agreements with the Wolverine and Hoosier rural electric co-ops to buy the plant’s power for the next 30 years.
Michigan State Rep. Joey Andrews, whose district includes Covert, played a leading role in getting the state funding through the Legislature. Andrews said he’s confident the plant won’t run into the financial troubles that led to its closure.
"The federal government has gotten much more friendly to nuclear power and so a lot of those hurdles that came from the sort of climate around nuclear are gone now," Andrews said.
The plant will employ about 600 operators who make more than $100,000 a year. About 500 of those people are already working, and have been since 2022 to decommission the plant.
