Palisades Begins Restart With Eight Fuel Assemblies Reinserted as Nuclear Plant Eyes 2027 Return

Holtec’s Palisades nuclear plant on Lake Michigan is moving toward a restart after being fully defueled in 2022. As of Aug. 31, 2026, eight of the 204 fuel assemblies have been loaded back into the reactor vessel, with 196 still in the spent-fuel pool; some loaded now are the same assemblies removed at shutdown. The process uses a new fuel-handling machine and underwater loading, with the rest of the core awaiting placement. The restart is being funded by federal loan guarantees (up to $1.52 billion) and state money, but faces regulatory scrutiny, legal challenges, and a contractual deadline of March 2027 to supply power under two regional deals. If successful, it could redefine what “closed” means for U.S. nuclear infrastructure amid ongoing maintenance and safety work, including prior repairs to steam-generator tubes under NRC oversight.