Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in South Haven to Close in 2018

One of 3 nuclear power plants in Michigan will be closing permanently when Palisades near South Haven is shuttered in 2018.

The closure was confirmed by Consumers Energy on December 8, 2016. The Detroit News reported,

The move, touted by Consumers as a cost-saver for customers, comes after years of controversy at a plant years past its original expected lifespan.

Brought on-line in the early 1970s, Palisades’ original license was set to expire in 2011. In 2007, however, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted the plant a 20-year extension that would have allowed it to continue operating until 2031, over the objections of many environmental groups.

In 2012, the federal government named Palisades — already one of the oldest nuclear facilities in the country — one of the worst power plants for safety performance. Palisades also has seen repeated closures for a variety of maintenance issues.

With the closing, the Cook Nuclear Plant near Bridgman in Berrien County and Monroe County's Fermi Nuclear Generating Station on Lake Erie will be the only two remaining nuclear power plants in Michigan.