The Sconi

The Biden administration is considering reactivating decommissioned nuclear power plants, according to the president's climate adviser. Investors have already announced plans to restart reactors at two closed plants in Michigan and Pennsylvania. When asked about additional plant restarts, White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi stated at the Reuters IMPACT conference in New York, "We’re working on it in a very concrete way."

This development follows a Department of Energy report from September that explored the potential for adding new reactors at currently operating or recently closed but intact nuclear power plant sites. The report differs from Zaidi's discussion by focusing on introducing new "advanced" reactors at existing infrastructure sites with supportive communities.

The report identified potential space for new reactors in Wisconsin at both operational and closed plants. Although it did not specify locations, Wisconsin has one operational nuclear plant, Point Beach Nuclear Plant near Two Rivers, and one closed but intact site, Kewaunee Power Station nearby. Either location could host a new reactor producing around 1,100 megawatts, similar to Point Beach's current output. Adding such reactors would significantly increase Wisconsin's nuclear-generated electricity supply.

One of the two plants set for reopening is Palisades Nuclear Generating Station across Lake Michigan from Kenosha. This facility was shut down in 2022 when Michigan's governor reconsidered nuclear power as an energy source amid challenges meeting electricity demands due to coal and gas-fired plant closures.

Wisconsin faces similar challenges as electricity demand rises with anticipated growth in data centers and efforts to promote electric vehicles and home heating systems over natural gas. Utilities are also phasing out coal-fired plants due to federal regulations and Governor Evers' goal of eliminating carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by 2050.

Zaidi also mentioned that the administration aims to encourage the use of "small modular reactors," which have gained interest among Wisconsin’s rural electric cooperatives. These reactors can be manufactured efficiently rather than custom-built expensively and have drawn attention from the U.S. Navy for naval base applications. Zaidi noted that “SMR is a technology that is not a decades-away play,” adding that U.S.-based companies plan deployment within this decade.