Palisades
DecommissionedHoltec International·Covert, MI·PWR·767 MWe
?
Current reactor power level from the most recent NRC daily report.
Shut Down
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Days of continuous operation since the last outage ended. Ranked against all operating units.
--
Current Run
offline
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Longest recorded period of continuous operation between outages.
679
Record Run
days
#1 of 95
Top Quartile
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Breaker-to-Breaker runs — continuous operation exceeding the cycle-adjusted threshold (441 days for this 18-month cycle unit) with no trips to 0% power.
2
B2B Runs
#75 of 86
Bottom Quartile
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Lifetime capacity factor: average power level across all recorded days (100% = always at full power). Ranked against all NRC-tracked units.
84.1%
Capacity Factor
#87 of 95
Bottom Quartile
?
Net electricity actually generated over the most recent 12 months reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (Form EIA-923). These are authoritative actuals, not an estimate.
5.67 TWh
Net Generation
EIA-923 · 12 mo to 2022-07
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Total NRC-reported scram events (emergency reactor shutdowns). Ranked fleet-wide — fewer scrams = better rank.
7
Scrams
#49 of 94
Mid Quartile
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Years since commercial operation began.
50.4
Operating Age
years
Excellence Score, Records & Plant Facts
Breaker-to-Breaker Runs 2 runs
Breaker-to-breaker runs measure continuous operation between refueling outages using a cycle-adjusted threshold (90% of cycle length minus RFO duration). An active streak means the unit has been running continuously since the last refueling with no trips to 0% power.
Palisades has logged 2 breaker-to-breaker runs, continuous stretches from one refueling to the next with no trip to zero power. Its longest ran 577 days, and its runs average 512 days.
577
Best Run (days)
1R27 (2020-10-21) → 2022-05-21
512
Avg Run (days)
All Runs
| 2020-10-21 | 2022-05-21 | 577 days | 1R27 → ? |
| 2014-06-27 | 2015-09-16 | 446 days | 1R23 → 1R24 |
About This Site
Written by NukeWorker from public records: facts that do not change. Operator, status and capacity come from the live data elsewhere on this page. Sources: Wikipedia: Palisades Nuclear Generating Station.
Palisades Nuclear Generating Station is in Covert Township, Van Buren County, Michigan, on Lake Michigan about 5 miles south of South Haven, on a 432-acre site.
Read more
Construction began on March 12, 1967. The plant had one Combustion Engineering two-loop pressurized water reactor. It connected to the grid on December 29, 1971, and entered commercial operation the same day. On May 20, 2022, operators removed the plant from service about 11 days ahead of its scheduled May 31 shutdown, because of concerns over a faulty control rod drive seal.
Facility Statistics
Key performance and lifecycle metrics calculated from NRC operational data. Includes operating age, construction timeline, capacity factor, efficiency, generation totals, and reliability records.
Palisades has operated for about 50.4 years and averaged a 84.1% lifetime capacity factor, generating roughly 134.4 TWh of electricity. Its longest unbroken run reached 679 days.
Lifecycle & Tenure
Operating Age: 50.4 Yrs
Build Time: 4.8 Yrs
Lic. Remaining: N/A Yrs
Production & Power
Lifetime CF: 84.1%
Efficiency: 30.3%
Generated: 134.4 TWh
Reliability & Outages
Record Run: 679 Days
Refuelings: 14
Avg Startup: 9.2 Days
Ownership & Construction
The utility or company that owns and operates the facility, the architect-engineer responsible for plant design, and the primary construction contractor. Click names to view all facilities by that entity on the map.
Ownership, operation and management history
| Date | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2007 | Sold | Consumers Energy | Entergy |
| Jun 28, 2022 | Sold | Entergy | Holtec |
Publicly Traded
No — Privately held
Scram History 7 events since 2011
Automatic and manual reactor scram (emergency shutdown) events reported to the NRC since 2011. Includes event dates, trip type, and average recovery time. Click the title to view the full fleet scram dashboard.
Palisades has recorded 7 reactor scrams, or emergency shutdowns, since 2011 (4 automatic, 3 manual). On average the unit was back to full power about 9.7 days after each trip.
Technical Specs
Reactor design specifications including type (PWR/BWR), containment design, nuclear steam supply system manufacturer, thermal and electrical power ratings, and current operational status.
Reactor Type:
PWR
Containment:
PWR-DRYAMB
NSS Supplier:
COMB CE
Turbine Supplier:
WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION IAEA
Thermal Power:
2530 MWt
Net Capacity:
767 MWe
Gross Capacity:
850 MWe IAEA
Design Capacity:
805 MWe IAEA
Efficiency:
30.3%
Status:
Decommissioned
Licensing
NRC licensing history including docket number, license type and number, construction permit date, operating license issuance, commercial operation date, license renewal, and expiration date.
Docket #:
05000255
License #:
DPR-20
License Type:
OL-FP
Const. Permit:
1967-03-14
Construction Start:
1967-03-12 IAEA
Operating Lic:
1991-02-21
First Criticality:
1971-05-22 IAEA
Grid Connection:
1971-12-29 IAEA
Commercial Op:
1971-12-31
License Renewed:
2007-01-17
License Exp:
2031-03-24
Market & Region
EIA market and grid-region classifications: NERC reliability region, U.S. Census region, balancing authority responsible for grid operations, and whether the unit operates as a rate-regulated utility or a competitive merchant generator. Hover any value for the full name.
Balancing Authority:
MISO
— Midcontinent Independent System Operator (ISO/RTO)