Palisades nuclear power plant awaits decision on federal funding - WNDU
Palisades nuclear power plant awaits decision on federal funding
BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. (WNDU) - Berrien County commissioners are learning more about what’s included in the state’s budget, specifically on funding to repower the former Palisades Nuclear Power Plant.
The plant sits along Blue Star Highway in Covert Township that’s in Van Buren County.
According to our reporting partners at The Herald-Palladium, the plant was permanently shut down in May of last year after generating nuclear energy for over 50 years.
A month later, Holtec International purchased the plant with plans to decommission the site by 2041. The company asked state lawmakers for $300 million to help with this process, but received just half of that.
An official cited by the paper claims the remaining $150 million would show up if federal funding comes in.
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Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: nuclear
Nuclear energy provides almost 20 percent of the U.S. electricity supply. Advocates have called for an expanded role for nuclear as an emissions-free fuel source. But the economics of building new reactors are daunting. In addition, lingering safety concerns are an institutionalized part of the calculation of nuclear regulation, and highly radioactive nuclear waste remains a can that public officials have been inclined to kick down the road. The Energy Information Administration projects a sharp decline in nuclear power generation over the next decade, as new nuclear plants — two are planned — are more than offset by anticipated retirements of several operating reactors.