Second group calls on state to stop Palisades closure

COVERT — The Michigan and Ohio Section of the American Nuclear Society is urging Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and state lawmakers to reconsider the closure of the Palisades Power Plant.

The group sent state officials a letter outlining their stance, making it the second effort this year to prevent the May 31 closure of the plant, nine years before the plant’s operating license will close.

“We urge Gov. Whitmer and the state of Michigan to take a fresh look at the growing negative consequences that Palisades’ closure will have for residents of Michigan,” wrote the Michigan-Ohio Section of ANS in the letter. “We ask that you use your influence to persuade Entergy to continue operating the Palisades Nuclear Plant and Consumers Energy to buy the clean power from the Palisades plant.”

Michigan’s state chapter of the nonprofit association representing nuclear engineers, scientists and technologists said the May shutdown of Palisades would result in economic and environmental harm. The plant is closing because it cannot compete with natural gas providers, Entergy Corp. officials said.

Like a February letter from Save Nuclear NOW, the Michigan and Ohio Section of ANS recommended Palisades should apply for U.S. Department of Energy funds dedicated to preventing the premature closures of nuclear power plants.

The letter stated the draft MI Healthy Climate Plan fails to credit nuclear power for providing any energy for the state of Michigan, despite the current contribution of zero-carbon electricity from the Palisades, Cook and Fermi nuclear power plants.

“Palisades provides 798 megawatts of zero-carbon baseload capacity,” stated the letter. “Consumers Energy has purchased its power in the past. If the premature closure goes ahead, the proportion of firm and zero-carbon dispatchable electricity generated by Palisades will be replaced mostly by fossil fuels to shore up the grid.”

Because wind and solar require lots of land intensive and are intermittent in their electricity production, the letter stated the renewables would be unable to make up the loss of the Covert Township plant.