[ad_1]
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the Biden- Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), announced more than $2.8 billion to support reliable, affordable, and clean power in the Midwest.
DOE, through its Loan Programs Office (LPO), announced the closing of a loan guarantee of up to $1.52 billion under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) program to Holtec Palisades to help finance the restoration and resumption of service of an 800-MW nuclear generating station in Covert Township.
This represents a first of a kind effort by DOE to restart an American nuclear power plant—generating carbon pollution-free energy and saving and expanding a union workforce in Michigan while helping strengthen America’s nuclear energy sector and advance core climate and domestic energy goals. The USDA also announced more than $1.3 billion in Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program awards for two rural electric cooperatives––Wolverine Power Cooperative and Hoosier Energy––to reduce the cost of electricity passed on to their members for clean power from Holtec Palisades and other clean energy sources.
These awards reinforce the Administration’s approach to achieving widespread deployment of advanced nuclear as described in the updated Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Advanced Nuclear report, also just announced by DOE, as well as supporting a more prosperous future for rural communities by accelerating the transition to clean energy, keeping monthly bills low for American families, and investing in a strong rural workforce.
“Nuclear power is America’s largest source of carbon-free of electricity, supporting hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs across the country and will play a critical role in tackling the climate crisis and protecting public health and the environment from its impacts,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership, DOE and our partners across the federal government are working around the clock to ensure this vital source of clean electricity—and the vibrant workforce it supports—
continues to power our nation for generations to come.”
“Since day one of their Administration, President Biden and Vice President Harris have been clear that rural electric cooperatives are the backbone of our nation and investing in them is a top priority,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Through the investments announced today under USDA’s New ERA program, we can continue supporting a more prosperous future for rural communities by accelerating the transition to clean energy, keeping monthly bills low for American families and investing in a strong rural workforce.”
“From Day One, President Biden and Vice President Harris have taken historic steps to keep existing nuclear plants from shutting down, restart previously shuttered nuclear plants, and bring new reactors online. The results are visible across the country – more clean power and more union jobs. It’s a powerful clean energy comeback story that represents a chance to build our manufacturing capacity and rebuild our middle class. Today’s announcement – which will catalyze the first recommissioning of a nuclear power plant in U.S. history – create hundreds of
long-term union jobs, support workforce development, and feed our nation’s energy demand while reducing emissions,” said White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi.
“Working with two rural electric co-ops, we are also ensuring families and small businesses in rural communities can tap into this reliable and lower-cost power. This is the playbook for how Michigan, and America, wins the future.”
The Palisades Nuclear Plant, which ceased operations in May 2022, will be brought back online and upgraded to produce clean baseload power until at least 2051, subject to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensing approvals. The NRC also issued new guidance to ensure the restart is performed safely and to high standards. Once complete, this project will be the first recommissioning of a retired nuclear power plant in U.S. history—underscoring
President Biden and Vice President Harris’ deep commitment to retaining and creating clean power jobs and advancing the U.S. nuclear industry while tackling the climate crisis and helping to achieve our domestic greenhouse gas reduction goals.
Later today, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David M. Turk, USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small, and White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi will join local, state, and labor leaders for a tour of Holtec Palisades Training Center. During the visit, DOE Deputy Secretary Turk, USDA Deputy Secretary Torres Small, and Advisor Zaidi will highlight how today’s announcement reinforces the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government
approach to supporting good-paying, high-quality job opportunities in communities across the country while also expanding access to affordable clean energy resources that will protect public health and the environment from the impacts of climate change.
The restart of Holtec Palisades is projected to create or retain up to 600 high-quality jobs in Michigan––many of them filled by workers who have been at the plant for more than 20 years– with approximately 45% of the workforce at the site being good-paying union labor upon restart. In addition to the workers supported by the facility’s restart, the loan guarantee will support more than 1,000 jobs during the facility’s regularly scheduled refueling and maintenance periods every 18 months. Holtec Palisades has a project labor agreement in place with 15 trade
unions that are supporting the project.
Once operational, the Palisades Nuclear Plant will provide reliable, clean firm power generation around-the-clock with zero emissions––a vital addition to Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO) resource mix as coal plants are retired. Holtec Palisades has already signed long-term Power Purchase Agreements for the full power output with rural electric co-ops Wolverine Power Cooperative and Hoosier Energy who serve rural communities in Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana. This will significantly reduce Hoosier’s climate pollution and put Wolverine on track to reach 100 percent carbon-free energy before 2030, allowing rural communities across Michigan to lower their carbon footprint from grid-connected energy to zero.
[ad_2]
Source link
