The Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan began loading fuel on August 30, 2026, according to owner Holtec. That is a significant step in an effort to restart the shuttered reactor, but it does not mean the plant has resumed generating electricity. As of October 8, 2026, the available updates do not confirm commercial operation or a firm date for it.
What the original “next year” forecast meant
The headline’s forecast dates to October 1, 2024, when Holtec was targeting a return to service by the end of 2025. That was a target at the time, not the current schedule. The latest reported milestone is fuel loading in August 2026, and no firm commercial restart date is established in the available updates. The original article
Where the Palisades restart stands
Palisades is a single-unit pressurized water reactor on Lake Michigan in Covert Township, Michigan. It permanently ceased operations on May 20, 2022. Holtec’s restart effort involves restoring the existing reactor after shutdown and fuel removal; the company says fuel loading began August 30, 2026, with testing, restoration, and startup preparations continuing in its subsequent progress report. NRC facility profile Holtec progress report
Fuel loading is a step toward operation, not evidence that electricity is being sold to the grid. It is important to distinguish that milestone from testing, completion of regulatory requirements, startup, and commercial power generation. Holtec’s update describes ongoing work; it does not confirm commercial operation.
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What still has to happen before operation
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission describes the restart work as restoring Palisades’ operational licensing basis, returning components to a condition that supports safe operation, and making necessary repairs or upgrades. NRC staff review licensing documents, inspect restored or new components, and oversee the effort.
In July 2025, the NRC approved major licensing actions but said additional licensing actions and requirements remained before startup. The approvals were therefore important progress, not a blanket statement that the plant was ready to operate. NRC release
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Timeline: shutdown to fuel loading
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| May 20, 2022 | Palisades permanently ceased operations, according to the NRC. |
| September 2024 | The Department of Energy closed a $1.52 billion loan to Holtec Palisades to help finance restoration and resumption of service. The end-of-2025 return target reported at the time was a forecast, not a confirmed operating date. |
| July 24, 2025 | The NRC announced major licensing approvals and noted that additional licensing actions and requirements remained before startup. |
| August 2025 | DOE issued a record of decision for the loan guarantee supporting refueling and resumption activities consistent with NRC licensing actions. |
| August 30, 2026 | Holtec says Palisades entered refueling Mode 6 and began fuel loading. Its later update said testing, restoration, and startup preparations continued. |
| October 8, 2026 | The available NRC and Holtec updates do not establish commercial operation or a firm date for resuming power generation. |
Sources: NRC facility profile, DOE project page, NRC release, DOE record of decision, and Holtec progress report.
What the financing and license figures tell you
- Loan: DOE says it closed a $1.52 billion loan to Holtec Palisades in September 2024 to help finance restoration and resumption of service. The loan supports the project; it does not by itself authorize the reactor to operate. DOE
- Generating capacity: DOE describes Palisades as an 800-megawatt station. That is the plant’s stated capacity, not a measure of electricity it is currently producing. DOE
- License expiration: The NRC lists March 24, 2031, as the operating license expiration date. That date alone does not establish that restart conditions have been met or that the plant is operating. NRC
Do not confuse the restart with the proposed SMR project
The restart concerns Palisades’ existing operating unit. Holtec has also proposed a separate two-unit SMR-300 project at the site, identified by the NRC as Pioneer Units 1 and 2. The NRC’s application page describes review of a proposed construction permit and limited work authorization; these proposed reactors are not part of the existing unit’s restart. NRC application page NRC facility profile
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How to interpret future restart updates
- Check the milestone: Fuel loading, testing, regulatory approvals, startup, and commercial generation are different stages.
- Check who is reporting: NRC and DOE records document regulatory and financing actions; Holtec’s progress reports describe the company’s project progress.
- Check the date and scope: A schedule target can change, and updates about the proposed SMR units do not describe the existing reactor’s restart.
- Look for explicit confirmation of operation: A statement that work is continuing or fuel loading has begun is not confirmation that commercial power generation has started.
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