Not only would a re-start of the shut down Palisades nuclear be the first in US history, but Holtec’s planned SMR project also would be the first commercially viable SMR one, as previous efforts have failed:
“Matthew McKinzie, senior director of data and policy at the Science Office of the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council, sounded a more cautionary, skeptical note on SMRs.
“The most important thing to know about SMRs is that they don’t exist in a commercially viable way,” he said. “There is no real-world data on the performance of SMRs, as none have been manufactured at scale.”
SMRs are at an economic disadvantage due to their lower power output compared with traditional reactors, McKinzie said. That results in less revenue for the owning utility while the cost of construction is not similarly proportionally smaller.
“For SMRs to play any role in the future, the technology must address concerns around cost, environmental radiation, nuclear waste and nuclear weapons proliferation,” he said. “Absent meeting these challenges, the technology is unlikely to succeed.” – https://www.usatoday.com/story/business/energy-resource/2025/02/26/holtec-plan-for-smr-300s-at-palisades-restart-in-covert-township/80452633007/
We are trading a reliable Campbell for a risky Palisades. This is unwise.