Palisades Power Plant
27780 Blue Star Memorial Highway , Covert, Michigan, United States

Palisades Nuclear Power Plant, located in Covert, Michigan, is owned by Entergy, one of the nation’s leading nuclear generators. It is a one-unit, pressurized water reactor capable of producing enough energy for approximately 800,000 homes. Palisades began commercial operation in December 1971 and has a license to operate through 2031.

About Entergy Nuclear

Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including nearly 9,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.9 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of $11 billion and nearly 13,700 employees.

Specifications

• Location: Covert, Mich. (five miles south of South Haven, Mich.)

• Reactor Manufacturer: Combustion Engineering

• Turbine-Generator: Westinghouse Electric

• Architect-Engineer/Constructor: Bechtel Power Corporation

• Commercial Operation Date: Dec. 1971

• Maximum Dependable Capacity: 798 megawatts

• License Expiration Date: 2031

• Ownership: Entergy

• Entergy status: Entergy assumed operating authority from the owner in April 2007.

Milestones

• 1966: Construction begins.

• 1971: First commercial generation of electricity on Dec. 31.

• 2000: Nuclear Management Company begins operating the plant. Consumers Energy retains ownership.

• 2005: Nuclear Management Company, on behalf of Consumers Energy, files a 20-year license renewal application with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

• 2007: Entergy signs closing agreement on April 11, 2007 to assume ownership of Palisades Power Plant.

• 2016: Entergy proposes early end to Palisades power purchase agreement; plant scheduled to close in 2018.

• 2017: Entergy announces Palisades to continue operating until spring 2022.

• 2018: Entergy agrees to post-shutdown sale of Palisades to Holtec International for decommissioning.

Dry Fuel Storage

Dry fuel storage has been used at Palisades since 1993 and is a safe and secure method for storing used nuclear fuel. The casks are very robust and are designed to prevent fuel damage during accident conditions such as tornados, floods, snow and ice, earthquakes, or explosions.    Palisades uses two different dry fuel storage designs. Both are passive, meaning no pumps, motors, or moving parts are required for the cask’s safe operation. Stored fuel assemblies are cooled by natural air flow, in which air enters the cask through vents near the bottom, and removes heat as it travels through the cask, eventually exiting through vents at the top of the cask.  Palisades Nuclear Plant does not store used nuclear fuel from other nuclear sites. All used fuel stored at Palisades is from Palisades’ operations only.

Emergency Planning

- Being Prepared Entergy has an unrelenting commitment to nuclear safety and Palisades has a detailed plan for responding in the unlikely event of an emergency. We test the plan regularly with the participation of local and state response organizations. Information about the plant’s emergency preparedness program is now available at www.entergy-nuclear.com/publicinformation. This website features turn-by-turn directions to reception centers, a map to determine which protective action area you are currently located in and an online form to provide special needs information to local officials.