U.S. NRC Approves Four SMR-300 Reactors at Oyster Creek Site in New Jersey

A retired nuclear power plant in New Jersey is getting a new lease on life with the construction of small modular reactors. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved the construction of four advanced small modular reactors (SMRs) at the site of the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in New Jersey. The plant is currently in decommissioning, with more than half of the dismantling work completed.

The Oyster Creek Generating Station, which began construction in December 1969 and operated for nearly 49 years until its closure in September 2018, was once the longest-operating commercial nuclear power plant in the United States. It produced over 192 terawatt-hours of carbon-free electricity in total. Supported by New Jersey's pro-nuclear legislation and stable local backing, Holtec plans to build four SMR-300 units at the site, featuring passive safety systems with a combined capacity expected to reach 1,360 megawatts. Additionally, the company noted the potential to integrate artificial intelligence data centers into the project.

The project is expected to create approximately 4,000 construction jobs, over 400 permanent positions, and thousands more through the local supply chain, while also increasing tax revenue. Despite these new plans, the team still needs to safely complete the dismantling of the old plant. Jeff Dostal, site vice president at Oyster Creek, stated that the NRC's approval is a testament to the quality of their technical work, the strength of regulatory collaboration, and the safety and accountability culture maintained throughout the decommissioning process.

Holtec is also pursuing similar efforts in other states, planning to deploy the first two SMR-300 units at its Palisades site in Michigan. The company is currently refurbishing that plant to make it the first commercial nuclear reactor in the United States to restart after a permanent shutdown.