Congressman Tim Walberg has been pressing federal officials on the possible reopening of the Palisades nuclear power plant in Van Buren County. This week, Michael Goff, the principal deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Walberg brought up Palisades.
“A recent study by the University of Michigan found that the premature closure of the Palisades nuclear power plant just north of my district will have an adverse economic impact on the region of more than $250 million annually,” Walberg said. “As I said before, it will also address the critical needs for baseload generation in our state. Republicans and Democrats came together in Michigan to fund the reopening of the plant, and now the decision lies with the DOE. Do you have any updates on those efforts?”
Goff said he commends the work in Michigan to restart Palisades, but it is the first time an effort has been made to restart an already closed nuclear plant. He says the Energy Department is reviewing the proposal. Walberg asked that no time be wasted. Palisades owner Holtec has requested a $1 billion loan from the Energy Department to restart Palisades. It has the support of state officials, including the governor.
