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| Milestone | Original Target | Current Status | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 20-year PPA signed | 2024-Q3 | Complete (Sept 20, 2024) | ~835 MW; behind-the-meter optionality not exercised | |
| NRC license reinstatement docket opened | 2024-Q4 | Complete (Oct 2024) | Section 103 path; not a Section 104 like Palisades | |
| DOE LPO conditional commitment | 2025-Q1 | In progress (DOE LPO review ongoing) | Loan guarantee terms not finalized | |
| Steam generator + RPV inspections complete | 2025-Q4 | In progress (refurbishment program ongoing) | Mothballed 2019; refurbishment includes major inspections + replacements | |
| Initial cumulative capex spent | ~$300M by FY2025 | On track per CEG 10-Q (FY2024 + 9M FY2025: ~$280M) | Total project budget: ~$1.6B | |
| NRC license reinstated | 2026-Q4 | Target on plan | Independent risk: NRC review could extend 6-12 months | |
| Fuel load | 2027-Q3 | Target on plan | Fuel manufactured by Westinghouse + on-site by 2027 | |
| Criticality | 2027-Q4 | Target on plan | First criticality post-restart | |
| FERC capacity interconnection waiver | 2026 | Complete (June 1, 2026) | Allows transfer of 760 MW of Capacity Interconnection Rights from Eddystone to Crane | |
| Commercial Operations Date (COD) | 2028-Q1 (CEG stated) | Accelerated: CEG now targets 2027; reported ahead of schedule on several workstreams | Restart pulled forward roughly a year vs original 2028 target | |
| Full 20-year PPA delivery start | 2028 | Advanced toward 2027 alongside the accelerated restart | Microsoft data center demand profile | |
| Editorial. Why this matters | Strategic context | Crane is the single most-watched US nuclear restart project + the marquee proof point for the AI-power-demand-meets-existing-nuclear thesis. Holtec Palisades is structurally similar but at different scale (~800 MW vs Crane's 835 MW) + different status (Palisades 2025-2026 target vs Crane 2028). If CEG slips beyond mid-2029, the Microsoft PPA economics + the broader AI-nuclear narrative both come under pressure. |