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Holtec Receives New Nuclear Fuel at Palisades for Planned Restart

LCG, October 20, 2025--Holtec International announced today that the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant site in Michigan has received new nuclear fuel – 68 assemblies in total – that achieves a major milestone on the path to restarting the plant. The 800-MW facility was shutdown and decommissioned in 2022 due primarily for economic reasons; however, Holtec is progressing towards restarting the original unit by the end of this year, pending all necessary federal regulatory reviews and approvals. Achieving a successful restart of a shutdown nuclear unit will be a historic first for the nuclear industry.

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Calpine Closes Texas Energy Fund Loan for 460-MW Pin Oak Creek Peaking Facility

LCG, October 14, 2025--Calpine Corporation today announced the close of a Texas Energy Fund (TxEF) loan agreement to support development of the Pin Oak Creek project, a 460-MW, natural gas-fired peaking facility adjacent to Calpine's Freestone Energy Center, a gas-fired combined-cycle facility located on approximately 506 acres near Fairfield, Texas.

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Industry News

South Texas Nuclear Outage May Raise Natural Gas Costs

LCG, May 8, 2003Analysts project that Texas natural gas prices may increase because of the prolonged shutdown of a nuclear plant called South Texas Project.

Centerpoint Energy-owned South Texas Project normally is capable of producing 1,250 megawatts, but the generator was pulled off line due to worrisome corrosion on the bottom of the reactor vessel.

Almost two thirds of the states electric capacity comes from natural gas-fired sources, and some generator owners are concerned about gas prices as the hottest months of the year draw near.

According to the Dow Jones Newswires, an estimated additional 10 billion cubic feet per month will be used in order to compensate for power lost due to South Texas shutdown.

The plants corrosion is especially foreboding because the reactor is fairly young and has yet to show any sign of true malfunctioning. If nothing is found out of place in the generators system, the implication will be that corrosion of this type is due to normal wear - not something a plant owner wants to hear.

Corrosion is often induced by the acidic conditions in the reactor vessel. Boric acid, commonly used during the reaction, unfortunately also aids in oxidizing the metal and can help to form holes in the reaction vessel. Holes in the bottom of the vessel are especially difficult to repair.

Recently several other reactors have been found to have cracks and corrosion-related damage, including a Florida Power & Light reactor, Duke Powers Oconee Unit 3 in South Carolina, and last year, FirstEnergys Davis-Besse reactor in Ohio.

The generator will be kept off line until thorough investigations are made, possibly through the summer or longer.

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