The restarting of a decommissioned nuclear power plant is an unprecedented achievement in the United States, where cost, permitting and safety concerns have marginalized the industry since the early 1980s.
But a groundswell of new support for nuclear energy, driven by increasing demand for power combined with an ongoing rush to close or curtail fossil fuel generation, has put the mothballed Palisades nuclear station in southwest Michigan on an ambitious path to be repowered by late 2025.
The 800-megawatt plant, located on the banks of Lake Michigan, was shut down in May 2022 after nearly 50 years of service. But new clean energy funding and other support from the state of Michigan and the U.S. Department of Energy convinced Holtec International, the plant’s owner, to pursue recommissioning of the facility.
The linchpin in this historic project was finding a buyer for the power Palisades would generate. That came in late 2023, when Wolverine Power Cooperative and later Hoosier Energy signed long-term power purchase agreements with Holtec.
On this episode, we’re joined by Eric Baker, CEO of Wolverine Power Cooperative, and Donna Walker, CEO of Hoosier Energy, to talk about how co-ops became involved in this project and how this kind of co-op vision, creativity and leadership is starting to garner worldwide attention.
Listen to the episode below:
You can also listen and subscribe to Along Those Lines on your preferred podcast service:
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
Find out more about NRECA’s podcast. Questions or suggestions? Email us at AlongThoseLines@nreca.coop.