NRC Preparing to Oversee First of a Kind Effort to Restart a Shuttered Plant
The Palisades Nuclear Plant (PNP) permanently ceased operations on May 20, 2022, after more than 40 years of commercial operation. In early 2023, Holtec, the licensee for PNP expressed an interest in returning the plant to an operational status.
This effort will involve Holtec explaining how it will (1) return plant components to a status that supports safe operation; (2) restore the licensing basis of the plant to an operational status, and (3) make any upgrades necessary to meet current NRC requirements.
NRC staff will carefully review the regulatory and licensing documents for the plant, inspect new and restored components necessary to operate safely, and continue ongoing oversight to ensure sufficiency of all plant systems and programs.
To provide oversight of this effort, the NRC has established the Palisades Nuclear Plant Restart Panel, which will guide the staff efforts to review, inspect, and confirm that PNP is ready to be returned to an operating facility. The Restart Panel will help coordinate licensing, inspection, and oversight activities across the agency to ensure that all aspects of the PNP restart project are meeting the NRC’s safety, security, and environmental requirements.
Licensing Actions Under Review
The licensee for the Palisades Nuclear Plant, Holtec Decommissioning International (HDI), is pursuing several licensing actions to restore the operational licensing basis for the plant.
Regulatory Path to Reauthorize Power Operations |
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ADAMS Accession No. |
Document Date |
Other Information |
Submittal |
ML23032A399 |
02/01/2023 |
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Updated Submittal |
ML23072A404 |
03/13/2023 |
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Kickoff Meeting |
ML23107A121 |
03/20/2023 |
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Follow-Up Meeting |
ML23171B122 |
05/24/2023 |
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Request for Exemption from Certain Termination of License Requirements of 10 CFR 50.82 |
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ADAMS Accession No. |
Document Date |
Other Information |
Pre-Submittal Meeting |
ML23263A001 |
08/29/2023 |
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Submittal |
ML23271A140 |
09/28/2023 |
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Acceptance Review |
ML23291A440 |
11/03/2023 |
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RAI Letter |
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Requests for additional information (RAIs) will be issued as needed for this action. |
RAI Response |
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Final Documentation |
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Estimated Completion |
Tuesday, December 31, 2024 |
Date as included in acceptance review |
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Application for Order Consenting to Transfer of Control of License and Conforming License Amendments |
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ADAMS Accession No. |
Document Date |
Other Information |
Pre-Submittal Meeting |
ML23303A213 |
10/03/2023 |
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Submittal |
ML23340A161 |
12/06/2023 |
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Acceptance Review |
ML24012A242 |
01/16/2024 |
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RAI Letter |
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RAIs will be issued as needed for this action |
RAI Response |
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Final Documentation |
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Estimated Completion |
Tuesday, December 31, 2024 |
Date as included in acceptance review |
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Request to Revise Operating License and Technical Specifications to Support Resumption of Power Operations |
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ADAMS Accession No. |
Document Date |
Other Information |
Pre-Submittal Meeting |
ML24016A005 |
12/05/2023 |
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Submittal |
ML23348A148 |
12/14/2023 |
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Acceptance Review |
ML24022A117 |
01/23/2024 |
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RAI Letter |
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RAIs will be issued as needed for this action |
RAI Response |
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Final Documentation |
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Estimated Completion |
Friday, January 31, 2025 |
Date as included in acceptance review |
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Request to Revise the Administrative Technical Specifications to Support Resumption of Power Operations |
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ADAMS Accession No. |
Document Date |
Other Information |
Pre-Submittal Meeting |
ML24051A094 |
02/06/2024 |
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Submittal |
ML24040A089 |
02/09/2024 |
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Acceptance Review |
ML24060A221 |
03/18/2024 |
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RAI Letter |
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RAIs will be issued as needed for this action |
RAI Response |
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Final Documentation |
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Estimated Completion |
March 15, 2025 |
Date as included in acceptance review |
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Request to Reinstate the Palisades Emergency Plan to Support Resumption of Power Operations |
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ADAMS Accession No. |
Document Date |
Other Information |
Pre-Submittal Meeting |
ML24089A246 |
03/18/2024 |
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Submittal |
ML24122C666 |
05/01/2024 |
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Acceptance Review |
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RAI Letter |
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RAIs will be issued as needed for this action |
RAI Response |
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Final Documentation |
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Estimated Completion |
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Date as included in acceptance review |
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Request to Update the Palisades Quality Assurance Plan to Support Resumption of Power Operations |
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ADAMS Accession No. |
Document Date |
Other Information |
Pre-Submittal Meeting |
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04/29/2024 |
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Submittal |
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Submittal expected in May 2024 |
Acceptance Review |
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RAI Letter |
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RAIs will be issued as needed for this action |
RAI Response |
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Final Documentation |
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Estimated Completion |
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Date as included in acceptance review |
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Request to Update the Main Steam Line Break Analysis Methodology for Palisades |
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ADAMS Accession No. |
Document Date |
Other Information |
Pre-Submittal Meeting |
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5/15/2024 |
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Submittal |
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Submittal expected in May 2024 |
Acceptance Review |
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RAI Letter |
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RAIs will be issued as needed for this action |
RAI Response |
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Final Documentation |
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Estimated Completion |
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Date as included in acceptance review |
Inspection Activities
Numerous NRC inspections and other oversight activities are planned to assess Holtec’s readiness to restart the Palisades plant. In support of this effort the NRC established Inspection Manual Chapter (IMC) 2562, “Light-Water Reactor Inspection Program for Restart of Reactor Facilities Following Permanent Cessation of Power Operations.” The purpose of IMC 2562 is to:
- Establish oversight policies, requirements, and guidance for transitioning from a decommissioning reactor facility to an operational power reactor facility subject to the Reactor Oversight Process (ROP).
- Detail the requirements for the inspection activities and operational plant readiness to provide reasonable assurance for safe operations following reactivation of an operating license.
- Ensure other federal agencies, state and local governments, tribal governments, the public, and other applicable stakeholders are engaged and informed.
Publicly available inspection reports from the activities completed to date related to the efforts to resume power operations at Palisades are listed below:
March 20, 2024 – Palisades Plant Reference Simulator Inspection Report
Upcoming Meetings
The NRC has engaged in several pre-submittal interactions with the Palisades staff on various topics related to the potential for restart, and will continue to host public meetings related to the potential for Palisades to resume power operations throughout the project.
On Wednesday, April 17, 2024, the Palisades Restart Panel hosted a public meeting in the vicinity of the Palisades site to discuss the NRC’s efforts related to regulation and oversight of the potential restart activities. The summary of that meeting is being developed and will be posted to the public as soon as it is issued.
The Palisades Restart Panel is tentatively planning an additional public meeting to discuss the Palisades restart project during the week of July 8, 2024. Please continue to check the NRC’s public website for additional information regarding this meeting.
Additional Activities
- The NRC staff is contemplating an environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) associated with the actions to return Palisades to an operational status. The NEPA review will entail public scoping meetings as well as the opportunity to provide comments on the scope of the NRC’s environmental review. Additional information on this effort will be made available on the NRC’s public website as it becomes available.
- On April 9, 2024, HDI provided notice of a significant change to the Palisades decommissioning schedule outlined in the Post-Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report (PSDAR). This change will defer removal of spent nuclear fuel and special nuclear material from the spent fuel pool to the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI). This change is being made to support the Palisades restart project but does not impact the current status of Palisades as a decommissioning facility.
- On April 18, 2024, HDI provided notice to the NRC of its intent to pursue subsequent license renewal as governed by 10 CFR 54, “Requirements for Renewal of Operating Licenses for Nuclear Power Plants.” According to the notice, HDI plans to submit an application for a second renewed operating license for Palisades during the first quarter of 2026 and no later than March 24, 2026. The first license renewal period for Palisades expires on March 24, 2031. Additional information regarding the NRC’s subsequent license renewal process can be found on the NRC’s public website under the Reactor License Renewal heading.
To sign up to receive NRC correspondence related to Palisades decommissioning, potential restart, and inspection activities join the Palisades listserv distribution by filling out the Operating Reactor Correspondence form with your email information.
Continue to check the NRC Public Meeting Page for information on any additional meetings on the Palisades Restart Project and Associated Actions.
For Additional Questions Contact the NRC’s Office of Public Affairs.