America’s great nuclear renaissance may have arrived on news that Michigan nuclear power plant Palisades, which was undertaking decommissioning, will be resurrected.

The plant is now on track to become the first successfully restarted nuclear power plant in the United States.

This week Michigan news sources said the plant – which was shut down and worked to be decommissioned from 2022- would now re-open to supply carbon-free electricity for the surrounding region.

The business and political case for nuclear energy in the United States has taken a dramatic u-turn in less than a year, with nuclear plants previously slated for shutdown now being kept online

Many governments, on both sides of politics, have now recognised that nuclear power is a vital part of the carbon-free nuclear mix.

The restart of the Palisades plant could save 7 million tons of CO2 from the atmosphere each year.

The 800-megawatt (MW) Palisades nuclear power plant was all but certain to end its life in 2022, however, with the introduction of the Biden Administration’s IRA – which included tax credits for nuclear power plans – the plant now has a new life.

The State of Michigan will also support the plan reopening.

Wolverine Power Cooperative has signed an agreement for power that will see plant owner Holtec’s Palisades Energy LLC re-open the facility.

Carbon-free power generated by the Palisades plant will be used for Michigan-based member rural electric cooperatives, Wolverine Power said.

“The restart of Palisades offers a practical, long-term solution to electric reliability in our state and aligns with Michigan’s ambitious goals to reduce carbon emissions,” said CEO of Wolverine Eric Baker.

The plant owner, Holtec International, said it hoped the restart of Palisades would inspire America’s allies, particularly Germany and Japan, to restart their dormant nuclear plants

“We thank Governor Whitmer, the Michigan legislature, the U.S. Department of Energy led by Secretary Granholm, and the people of Michigan whose enthusiasm to render Palisades into a bastion of new clean energy generation has encouraged us to launch the odyssey of restoring Palisades energy generation,” says Dr. Kris Singh, CEO of Holtec International.

“We are well aware that, although we see no real obstacles ahead, re-powering of a dormant plant such as Palisades would be a feat that has never been achieved before. Hopefully, the Palisades revival would encourage our allies, Germany and Japan, who have many dormant nuclear plants, to adopt a similar course.”

It will take about 18 months to restart the plant, reports said.

The contract also includes the option to build two small modular nuclear reactors on the site of Palisades, at 300MWe each. 

Nuclear analyst Mark Nelson said the news “will be a turning point” for the United States nuclear power industry.

“We may never lose a nuclear plant again, considering advances in life extensions, the rapidly rising popularity of nuclear power, and destruction of organized anti-nuclear veto power on the acceptance of nuclear power as clean power,” he said.