Holtec International: Palisades Nuclear Plant Restart Milestone Tracker
| Milestone | Target Date | Status | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy permanent shutdown | May 2022 | Complete | Pre-license-expiry economic shutdown | |
| Holtec acquisition close | Jun 2022 | Complete | Acquired for decommissioning; subsequent pivot to restart | |
| Restart announcement | Sep 2023 | Complete | Holtec announced restart-for-power-generation plan | |
| DOE LPO conditional commitment | Mar 2024 | Complete | $1.52B conditional commitment to support restart; subject to NRC approval + final FID | |
| Hyundai partnership for SMR-300 + Palisades | 2023-2024 | Partnership ongoing | Korean industrial supply chain support | |
| NRC license restoration request | 2024-Q2 | Filed; under review | NRC Section 104(b) path | |
| Steam generator + RPV inspections | 2024-2025 | In progress | Mothballed equipment requires extensive inspections + refurbishment | |
| Steam generator replacement decision | 2024-2025 | Replacement confirmed; new SGs installed | Major capex item; significant project risk if scope expanded | |
| NRC license restoration approved | Target 2025-Q4 to 2026-Q1 | Subject to NRC review | Critical-path milestone | |
| Fuel load | Target 2026 | Subject to license + refurbishment | Existing PWR fuel design (~5% LEU) | |
| First criticality | Target 2026 | Subject to fuel + license | Restart milestone | |
| Commercial Operations Date (COD) | Target 2025-2026 (Holtec stated) | Consensus analyst estimate: 2026-Q3 to 2027-Q2 | Holtec's stated target is the most aggressive in any US nuclear restart; consensus more cautious | |
| Editorial. Why this matters | Strategic context | Palisades is the second major US nuclear restart story alongside CEG Crane. The DOE LPO $1.52B conditional commitment validates federal support for the restart path. Marquee question: does Palisades restart on the aggressive 2025-2026 target, or does it slip toward 2027 + erode the company's stated path to first revenue + SMR-300 commercialization narrative? |
Updated at 2025-Q3
