⚛️Palisades Goes Critical (Again): The First U.S. Reactor to Un-Retire

History has been made in Michigan.

The NRC just approved Holtec’s request to transition the Palisades Nuclear Plant from decommissioning status back to an operating license, marking the first time ever a shuttered U.S. nuclear plant has received the green light to restart.

Let that sink in. A reactor that closed in 2022 is now on track to return to service, providing more than 800 MW of zero-carbon baseload power to the grid.

That’s enough to power over 800,000 homes and help offset rising energy demand in Michigan and beyond.

The NRC granted Holtec formal authorization to:

• Load new fuel into the reactor

• Reinstate its technical and safety protocols from before shutdown

• Officially return licensed reactor operators to on-shift status

• Transfer operating authority from Holtec’s decommissioning unit to Palisades Energy LLC

Holtec says the plant is now deep into restart preparations, with extensive testing, inspection, and maintenance already underway.

The restart is being driven by a 600-person team on-site, backed by over 1,000 skilled tradespeople, vendors, and suppliers, all operating under tight NRC oversight.

The project is supported by a $1.52 billion DOE loan guarantee, finalized in 2024, with over $250 million already disbursed to help bring the plant back online.

Palisades is also the proposed site for the first two units of its new 300 MW SMR design. Construction could begin before the decade is out, potentially turning the site into a hybrid hub of traditional and next-gen nuclear power.

Holtec has even floated a 10 GW SMR fleet vision, with plans to replicate this restart-plus-SMR model across former coal and nuclear sites nationwide.

The message is clear: the U.S. nuclear fleet is not just surviving, it’s evolving.

🎥Check out this cool video NRC posted about Palisades historic journey:

🤑UK Commits to Nuclear Power

In a move that underscores the UK’s commitment to a nuclear-powered future, final approval has been granted for the £38 billion ($51 billion) Sizewell C project, Britain’s biggest clean energy investment in a generation.

The plant, a near-copy of Hinkley Point C, will deliver zero-carbon electricity to over 6 million homes and save the grid £2 billion annually. Thanks to replication and lessons learned, it’s expected to come online faster and cheaper than its predecessor.

This marks the first time British taxpayers are direct co-owners of a nuclear plant, with the UK government holding a 44.9% stake alongside a mix of institutional investors. Backed by debt guarantees and a modest £1/month household charge during construction, the financing structure is as innovative as the project itself.

But this is more than just a reactor approval.

It’s a strategic pivot: ditching Chinese partners, bringing in allied capital, and reasserting nuclear as a pillar of UK energy independence.

With Rolls-Royce SMRs on deck and new gigawatt builds back on the table, Britain is laying the groundwork for the nuclear renaissance.

TLDR: Final greenlight secured. Private capital locked in. UK is going full steam ahead on nuclear.

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💍Atomic Artifact: Cereal Box Atomic Bomb Ring

In 1947, Kix cereal launched one of the most shocking promotions in advertising history. For just 15 cents and a cereal box top, children could receive a “Lone Ranger Atomic Bomb Ring“, a toy that actually contained polonium-210, one of the deadliest radioactive isotopes known to man.

Kids toys used to be absolutely wild.

🤖 US’ AI Action Plan Includes Nuclear

In what might be the most important (but least flashy) AI announcement of the year, the White House just dropped a 60-page “AI Action Plan”, and hidden inside is a massive win for nuclear.

Not my words, theirs:

The actual AI Action Plan says the DOE must:

• Prioritize the interconnection of reliable, dispatchable power sources as quickly as possible and embrace new energy generation sources at the technological frontier (e.g., enhanced geothermal, nuclear fission, and nuclear fusion).

• Reform power markets to align financial incentives with the goal of grid stability, ensuring that investment in power generation reflects the system’s needs.

The cherry on top of the sundae: In a separate announcement the DOE announced four federal sites as official launchpads for AI and energy infrastructure: INL, Oak Ridge, Savannah River, and Paducah.

Three of these already have advanced nuclear projects underway. The announcement directly ties back to Trump’s May executive orders on advanced reactors and permitting reform.

AI is the most power-hungry tech wave since the internet. Training large models is already stressing grids, and data center demand is expected to 4x by 2030. 

The feds are now treating that growth as a national security issue, and they just made nuclear part of the solution.

⚛️For the Nu-clearly Curious

🏗️France’s EDF to outline plan for 8 new reactors at end of 2026
France's EDF will outline details on a plan for 8 new reactors at the end of 2026, after taking a final investment decision on 6 already in planning.

🤝UAE's Enec signs pact with Westinghouse to boost nuclear energy adoption in US
The Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (Enec) and Westinghouse Electric Company in the US have signed a preliminary agreement to boost the use of advanced nuclear energy solutions in America.

🔧Japan power firm plans to build first new nuclear reactor since Fukushima
Kansai Electric Power will begin surveys for the construction of a new nuclear power reactor at its Mihama power station in Fukui prefecture, western Japan.

🗺️Sri Lanka is developing a nuclear power program, and has chosen five possible sites for their first plant.
Sri Lanka included nuclear in their long-term (2025-2044) energy plan and is making progress in establishing nuclear infrastructure and has identified potential new-build sites.

🧪 Gamma Rays and Gymwear

Welcome back to Atomic Alternatives, where we highlight the unexpected, under-the-radar ways nuclear tech shows up in the real world.

This week’s twist: Radiation that improves your yoga pants.

No, really.

Using gamma rays or electron beams, manufacturers can fine-tune the performance of everyday materials without the use of toxic chemicals.

When polymers are exposed to high-energy radiation (usually from a cobalt-60 source or an electron accelerator), it messes with their molecular structure in very intentional ways.

You get two main effects:

🔗Cross-linking: Radiation breaks bonds in long-chain polymers, and those free radicals then re-bond with neighboring chains. This forms a tighter, mesh-like network, making materials stronger, more heat-resistant, and chemically stable. Perfect for high-performance fabrics that need to survive stress.

⛓️Chain scission: In some cases, the radiation snaps molecular chains without re-linking them, reducing molecular weight and making the material more flexible or easier to process. This is useful for softening fabrics or making certain plastics easier to recycle or mold.

By adjusting the radiation dose, energy type, and atmosphere, engineers can precisely control which effect dominates, and tailor the outcome to whatever property they’re after.

They can dial up specific properties like:

• Chemical resistance (for harsh lab, industrial, or medical settings)

• Heat tolerance (great for packaging and sterilization)

• Surface texture or hydrophilicity (so materials absorb or repel water as needed)

And since there’s no leftover solvent, catalyst, or residue: it’s clean tech with real-world swagger.😎

So next time you throw on a lab coat, or admire how your gym leggings manage sweat, thank a nuclear physicist.

😂Meme of The Week

Whether it’s radioactive yoga pants or resurrected reactors, nuclear isn’t just having a moment: it’s building momentum.

Until next time, stay charged, stay curious, and keep glowing 😎

– Fredrik
📬 [email protected]
🔗 nuclearupdate.com