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The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a series of licensing and regulatory actions that will pave the way for restart of the Palisades nuclear plant in Van Buren County.

The NRC says following technical reviews, it has approved the transfer of operating authority for the plant and its independent spent fuel storage facility from Holtec Decommissioning International LLC to Palisades Energy LLC. The commission has also approved Holtec’s request to reinstate documents and programs that were in place prior to shut down. Among them are the technical specifications, emergency plan, emergency action levels, and physical security plan, as well as programs for quality assurance, maintenance, and inspections.

A May 2025 report from the NRC concluded there are no significant environmental impacts from restarting Palisades.

Holtec says Thursday’s news of the licensing approvals represents a “major regulatory milestone” being passed. The company says the authorization allows it to take critical next steps, including the receipt of nuclear fuel and the formal transition of licensed reactor operators to on-shift roles.

The NRC says while these latest approvals will allow Holtec to load fuel, there are still several licensing actions under its review.

Palisades shut down in 2022. It’s on schedule to go back online later this year.