House To MPSC: Deny Palisades Closure

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As one of its last pieces of business this session, the state House is calling on the Michigan Public Service Commission to reject Entergy’s proposal to close the Palisades nuclear power plant. The company says it cannot compete with low natural gas prices with nuclear energy and announced plans last Friday to shutter the facility in 2018. The MPSC and federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission still need to approve the shutdown. If that green light is given, the NRC says Entergy will have 60 years to completely decommission the plant and remove all nuclear fuel. If Palisades closes, over 600 jobs will be lost in Van Buren County, though people will continue to work there for years to get it mothballed.