LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — A once-shuttered nuclear plant on Lake Michigan’s shoreline just took a major step toward making U.S. energy history.

The Palisades Nuclear Power Plant, now owned by Holtec International, received 68 assemblies of new nuclear fuel this week—moving one step closer to becoming the first American plant ever to return from decommissioning to full operation.

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The domestically sourced fuel, supplied by a longtime partner manufacturer, is being stored in the Spent Fuel Pool Building until it’s ready to be loaded into the Reactor core, according to WWMT News Channel 3. Holtec says crews are also restoring key systems, including the Main Turbine Generator and Primary Coolant Pump, as the plant transitions from maintenance to power generation.

The Palisades facility, which shut down in May 2022 after more than four decades of service, reached a “major milestone” in July 2024 when the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved its reauthorization package.

If approved for full operations, the restart would make Palisades the first nuclear plant in U.S. history to be revived after closure.