The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today a $2.8 billion investment to support clean energy across the Midwest, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
The funding, which includes a $1.5 billion DOE loan guarantee and $1.3 billion in USDA grants, will finance the restoration of the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan, marking the first-ever recommissioning of a nuclear power facility in U.S. history.
The project will create over 2,000 union jobs while providing 800 megawatts of carbon-free electricity to rural communities in Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois, according to the USDA.
Arizona’s Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, the second-largest nuclear plant in the U.S., serves as a key example of nuclear energy’s role in providing clean, reliable power.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Arizona State Energy Profile, Palo Verde accounted for 4% of the nation’s nuclear generation and 27% of Arizona’s total net generation in 2023.
In 2023, Arizona generated its in-state electricity from a mix of sources: natural gas (46%), nuclear power (27%), coal (10%), solar energy (10%), hydroelectric power (5%), and wind (1%).