Holtec International said the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved its License Termination Plan for the Oyster Creek Generating Station in Lacey Township, New Jersey, a regulatory milestone that clears the last major phase of decommissioning and sets the stage for a planned four-unit small modular reactor build on the same site.
Retired plant lines up an SMR revival
Oyster Creek was the oldest operating US commercial reactor when it shut down in September 2018 after nearly 49 years of service and more than 192 terawatt-hours of carbon-free generation. Holtec, which took ownership for accelerated decommissioning, said dismantlement is now more than halfway complete. The approved License Termination Plan hands the company a clear roadmap for the final restoration work while opening the door to new reactor construction.
Four SMR-300 units targeted for 1,360 MWe
Holtec plans to build four of its 300 MWe-class SMR-300 pressurized-water reactors at the Oyster Creek site, delivering a combined 1,360 MWe of firm, dispatchable clean power — more than double the 636 MWe generating capacity of the original single-unit plant. The company estimates the project could support around 4,000 construction jobs and 400 permanent positions, alongside thousands of local supply-chain roles. Holtec also flagged the potential integration of on-site AI data centers, matching a trend that has seen hyperscalers such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google line up nuclear power to feed their compute buildouts.
Broader SMR-300 pipeline builds momentum
The Oyster Creek plan sits alongside a growing SMR-300 project pipeline. Holtec is refurbishing the Palisades plant in Michigan for the first US commercial reactor restart and expects to deploy the first two SMR-300 units at that site. It has also flagged development at a Utah location, reinforcing a broader DOE-backed push for advanced light-water SMRs. The commercial timeline is long — Holtec is targeting commercial operation of all four Oyster Creek units by 2036 — but the NRC signal removes a key regulatory overhang and strengthens New Jersey's newly pro-nuclear policy stance.
Reporting based on coverage from Holtec International, GlobeNewswire, Power Magazine and ExchangeMonitor.