Holland Reporter

Today, Congressman Bill Huizenga (R-MI) expressed his satisfaction after the Department of Energy announced the conditional commitment of up to $1.52 billion for a loan to repower Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Covert, Michigan. Huizenga stated, “Today’s announcement is a massive step towards restoring 800 megawatts of carbon-free energy generation and hundreds of highly skilled jobs right here in Michigan’s Fourth Congressional District. Holtec’s historic repowering of the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant will provide safe, reliable energy to meet Southwest Michigan’s growing needs, and it lays the groundwork for the first-of-their-kind small modular reactors to be placed at Palisades in the future. For these reasons, I’m proud to have led the bipartisan congressional effort on behalf of this project to lower energy costs, create jobs, and strengthen American energy security.”

Huizenga has been actively involved in advocating for the repowering of Palisades. In various instances, he pushed for the restart of Palisades and stressed the importance of nuclear energy. Additionally, he highlighted the significance of the power purchase agreement between Holtec and Wolverine Power Cooperative and led a bipartisan letter urging the Department of Energy to review the repowering of Palisades in a timely and responsible manner. Huizenga's efforts focused on fueling Southwest Michigan’s future by repowering Palisades, with a strong emphasis on energy security and job creation.

Furthermore, in February, Huizenga visited Holtec International’s Corporate Technology Center in Camden, New Jersey, to witness the progress being made for the Palisades project. This initiative is expected to bring about lower costs, enhanced energy security, and well-paying job opportunities for Southwest Michigan.