Nuclear Power – Risks & Rewards presented by the South Haven Speakers Series

Nuclear Power – Risks & Rewards

Small modular reactors (SMRs) have the potential to help companies and the country meet their emissions goals while satisfying growing energy demands, according to a study authored by Dr. Max Vanatta, doctoral graduate from the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability.

Vanatta will kick off the South Haven Speakers Series 11th season, “Nuclear Power - Risks and Rewards”, on Thursday, April 10 at 7 p.m. at Lake Michigan College’s South Haven Campus

His doctoral dissertation states that the U.S. has not yet deployed its first SMR due to high costs and complexity. However, new research from the University of Michigan suggests that SMRs could become economically viable by 2050.

According to board member Dick Brunvand, “the selection of this topic is especially timely since the Palisades nuclear plant near South Haven is set to become the first facility in the nation to be recommissioned and develop a

SMR facility on site.”

“Vanatta’s study caught the Series' Board attention as it explored various energy sources—including nuclear, wind, solar, and gas—as part of a sustainable power future”, he said.

During his presentation Vanatta will give a brief history of the conventional Palisades power plant which opened in 1971 to produce 800 megawatts of electricity. He will discuss how these plants generate electrical power and why there have been catastrophic failures. He will examine energy needs and new alternatives to fossil fuels for AI and other high-energy demands. He will look closely at the safety factors of all nuclear sources of power generation with special attention to nuclear waste issue.

After Palisades closed in 2022, 204 fuel rod assemblies were removed from the nuclear reactor and placed into the plant’s spent fuel pool, an underwater storage facility that keeps the radioactive material cool.

A major focus of Vanatta’s research and this presentation are small modular reactors, (SMRs). “While expensive and challenging, SMRs do have the potential to be deployed,” he said.

Despite some clear bipartisan appetite to develop nuclear energy at the Michigan state level, it is difficult to predict the direction of regulations and funding nationally with a new presidential administration in

Washington.

A week after taking over Palisades in 2022, Holtec surprised everyone by announcing plans to restart the plant. Some neighbors are worried about radiation leaks and nuclear waste storage, while an industry engineer

argues that the aging Palisades plant cannot meet current safety standards and should remain closed.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, “there is a revived understanding of nuclear energy as green power that could add to renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and hydropower. Nuclear- produced electricity is also seen as more consistent than wind or solar.”

The WSJ article continues “some say reviving decommissioned plants is a faster and less expensive way to add to energy capacity. Building a new plant could take more than a decade, while the Palisades reopening

is targeted for October 2025.”

Holtec International, based in Florida, owns the plant and has only experience in decommissioning nuclear reactors. Restarting and operating Palisades would be their first attempt, so they plan to outsource some operations to a more experienced nuclear company.

According to Daywi Cook, Covert township supervisor, they lost $1.6 million in tax revenue when the plant closed in 2022. Cook said the township is now preparing for a boom in employment, housing and small

businesses.

Holtec has discussed building two 300-megawatt small modular reactors at the Palisades site, but the company hasn’t formally applied for a SMR license yet.

Series president Elaine Stephens highlighted the discussion's importance, noting, "This topic is enriched by Dr. Vanatta's extensive research on energy needs and sources. He will offer new insights into the future of

nuclear power and its role in our energy landscape."

A wine and cheese reception will begin at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $10 and students attend free of charge.