New Jersey State Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-Morris/Passaic) is calling on the administration to begin an immediate investigation as to the feasibility of recommissioning or replacing the Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant in Lacey Township, NJ. The plant, which was under the ownership of Exelon at the time and is now under the ownership of Holtec International, and with the approval of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), agreed to shut down, and did so one year ahead of schedule in 2018. Exelon would have had to comply and update environmental standards which would have included a new $800 million “cooling tower.” They chose to abandon the plant instead.
Senator Pennacchio questions why hundreds of millions of dollars in ratepayer subsidies will be spent on offshore windmills and yet no consideration was given to Exelon to retrofit that plant - a plant that was generating up to 10% of New Jersey’s electricity.
“The State gave away a billion dollars in subsidies and tax credits to the Orsted project and now it is defunct,” said Pennacchio. “New Jersey citizens have never seen an ounce of electricity produced from it.”
“Other projects in Paulsboro, NJ and the New Jersey Wind Port in Salem County have also cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars,” Pennacchio continued. “The EDA is currently exploring ‘other uses’ for the Salem County port projects meaning that the $600 million project is also defunct. Just another waste of money on these green environmental schemes.”
The Senator cited recent approval by the NRC that would give Michigan’s Palisades Nuclear Plant, owned by Holtec, the ability to re-start its power plant.
“Certainly, if Michigan can restart a decommissioned power plant, we should minimally look into it at Oyster Creek. If not re-starting Oyster Creek, let’s take advantage of the transmission infrastructure and create a new modern safe nuclear replacement,” said the Senator.
Senator Pennacchio has written to the State Economic Development Authority, the State BPU and the Governor asking for a conversation to begin. He is also actively working on legislation to bring all parties together to determine what if anything can be done at the Oyster Creek facility.
The Senator’s letter to BPU President Guhl-Sadovy, dated August 27, 2025, can be read online.
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