// ARS TECHNICA — INTELLIGENZA ARTIFICIALE
The reactor meant to showcase nuclear’s comeback keeps hitting problems
A contractor fell into a reactor cavity and a bundle of fuel rods almost fell over.
US regulators have issued a warning to a nuclear project critical to Donald Trump’s efforts to revive the industry, after a contractor fell into a reactor cavity and a bundle of fuel rods nearly tipped over during refueling.
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission told Holtec International, a company racing to reopen a shuttered reactor at the Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan, to address a “chilled work environment” that has made staff hesitant to raise safety concerns without fear of retaliation.
The warning has prompted concerns among critics that financial and political pressures to revitalize nuclear power as an answer to booming AI-driven energy demand are increasing risks of accidents.
The NRC performed an inspection at Palisades in July over concerns about safety awareness. It followed an incident last year in which a worker fell into the reactor cavity, ingested some water, and was sent off-site for medical attention. The individual was decontaminated by radiation protection personnel but had 300 counts per minute detected in their hair, according to an incident report.
In a second incident in August, a bundle of nuclear fuel rods tilted over during a refueling operation, delaying what was anticipated to be the first reopening of a shuttered nuclear reactor in the US.
The NRC also said nine of the 15 reactor operators at Palisades failed the test for an initial licence examination administered in July and August. Six individuals were issued operator licenses.
Holtec, which has never operated a nuclear power plant, has secured about $2.2 billion in government support for a project that has been touted as a symbol of US nuclear resurgence. The owners of two other nuclear plants slated for decommissioning—Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania and Duane Arnold in Iowa—announced restarts soon after Palisades began work.
The Trump administration has promoted nuclear energy as an edge in the AI race against China. It has slashed regulation, provided tens of billions of dollars in funds, and promised to reverse a culture of “risk aversion” at the NRC to accelerate projects.
The warning issued to Holtec by the NRC last week landed as investor interest in the nuclear sector has faded, driven by concerns the AI boom is slowing.