The U.S. government will provide $1.5 billion in loans to restart nuclear power plants in the state

　　China News Service, March 28 (Xinhua) According to the Associated Press, on the 27th local time, Biden administration officials announced that the U.S. federal government will provide a loan of US$1.5 billion (approximately 10.8 billion yuan) to restart southwest Michigan. of a nuclear power plant.

Image source: Screenshot of AP report

　　According to reports, in 2022, the American company Holtec International acquired the Palisades nuclear power plant with a power generation capacity of 800 megawatts and planned to dismantle it. But with the support of Michigan and the Biden administration, the focus has now shifted to restarting the plant by the end of 2025.

　　Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said it would be the first U.S. nuclear power plant to reopen, but it still faces hurdles including inspections, testing and approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

　　Patrick O'Brien, a spokesman for Holtec International, said it will still take 4 to 5 months to finalize a financial agreement with the government. "This is a loan we must repay."

　　“Nuclear power is our largest single source of carbon-free electricity, supporting 100,000 jobs directly across the state and hundreds of thousands more indirectly,” said Jennifer Granholm, former Michigan Governor and current Energy Secretary.

　　According to reports, the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant is located on the shores of Lake Michigan, a two-hour drive from Chicago. Michigan utility CMS Energy owned the plant from 1971 until its sale in 2007 to Louisiana utility Entergy, which subsequently shut down the plant in 2022.

　　However, there are critics of restarting nuclear power plants, and a coalition that calls the restarts "zombie reactors" has requested hearings at the NRC.

　　"This requires the NRC and Holtec International to shoulder the responsibility and burden and redouble their efforts to ensure that the plant is safe enough and that all safety measures are intact." Najmadine Meshkaty, a professor of engineering at the University of Southern California, said Palisades Nuclear Power Plant.

　　According to reports, nuclear energy is becoming the focus of attention, with 34 countries, including the United States, previously pledging to use it to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. In California, regulators said in December 2023 that the state's Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant may operate until 2030 instead of 2025 to prevent blackouts as the state shifts to renewable energy.