Holtec International will receive up to $400 million from the federal government to help pay for small modular nuclear reactors, or SMRs, at the Palisades Nuclear Plant.
The U.S. Department of Energy said the funds will help support the “early deployment” of two 300-megawatt reactors at the shuttered nuclear plant that Holtec hopes to restart by the end of the year.
In a statement on Tuesday, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said SMRs will play a key role in supporting data centers and securing the nation’s electric grid.
“President Trump has made clear that America is going to build more energy, not less, and nuclear is central to that mission,” Wright said in the statement.
“Advanced light-water SMRs will give our nation the reliable, round-the-clock power we need to fuel the President’s manufacturing boom, support data centers and AI growth, and reinforce a stronger, more secure electric grid. These awards ensure we can deploy these reactors as soon as possible.”
Holtec spokesperson Nick Culp said the reactors will allow Palisades to power 1.4 million homes, adding that Holtec hopes to deploy the SMR reactors by the early 2030s.
In other news related to Holtec's planned restart of the plant, nuclear regulators plan to address concerns about the steam generators at Palisades during a virtual meeting Thursday morning at 8:30.
Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.
