goingcritical:palisadesUnited States · Restart

Palisades

Status: Fuel loaded target criticality 2026 (confidence: low) ? Reactor status full glossary → Announced Publicly announced — a site and design are proposed, but construction has not begun. Site preparation Early site and civil works are under way; the first safety-related ("nuclear") concrete has not yet been poured. Under construction Formal construction has begun, marked by the first nuclear concrete. Fuel loaded Nuclear fuel has been loaded into the core. The reactor is fuelled but has not yet gone critical. Critical Has reached first criticality — a self-sustaining chain reaction, usually at low power — but is not yet connected to the grid. Grid connected Synchronised to the electrical grid and exporting power for the first time, but still in commissioning and power-ascension testing — not yet in commercial service. Operating In commercial operation — the operator has formally declared the unit in regular commercial service. Shut down Permanently shut down and no longer generating; may be defuelled, undergoing decommissioning, or preserved in place. Canceled Abandoned before completion.

Developer: Holtec International (Palisades Energy LLC)

Site: Covert Township, Michigan

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Holtec CEO says restart expected in 2026, ahead of a March 2027 power-supply contract; prior end-2025 and February 2026 targets were missed and no firm date is set. Fuel (68 assemblies) is on site but not yet loaded as of July 2026.

Details

Design	Combustion Engineering PWR
Electrical output	800 MWe

Milestone history

1. Announced October 2023
2. Construction start —
3. Fuel load August 30, 2026
4. First criticality target 2026
5. Grid connection —
6. Commercial operation —