Palisades — United States of America

Palisades is a 811.8 MW nuclear power station in Michigan, United States of America. It is operated by Entergy Nuclear Palisades LLC. Based on reported annual generation of 6,865 GWh, it can supply roughly 2.0 million homes. It ranks #762 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1972, it is around 54 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, nuclear supplies about 17.4% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0001715.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: Wikidata P2109; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 811.8 MW, Palisades is below the median nuclear plant in United States of America (1,350 MW). Nuclear plants split uranium to raise steam with no direct CO₂; they run as steady baseload with very high capacity factors and the longest operating lifetimes of any thermal plant.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Key facts

Load factor

97%, from 6,865 GWh of reported generation; the median for 57 nuclear plants in United States of America that report generation is 89%

Generation trend

6,042 GWh in 2013 and 6,865 GWh in 2019 (+14%)

Highest and lowest year

2016: 7,045 GWh; 2018: 5,456 GWh

Share of United States of America nuclear capacity

0.3% of 270,415 MW across 176 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

26 of 111 dated nuclear plants in United States of America are older

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Reported generation trend

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Entergy Nuclear Palisades LLC.

Local climate & thermal context

This nuclear plant uses heat from nuclear fission to raise steam for a turbine-generator. It sits in a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 42.3°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

Heating degree-days here run 39% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 74/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

This site sits in a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with thermal cycling the leading environmental stress.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #125 largest nuclear power plant of 176 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 176 nuclear power plants in this dataset, together about 270,415 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Palisades nuclear power plant · Nuclear · 1,600 MW · Michigan
• New Covert Generating Facility · Gas · 1,176 MW · Michigan
• Watervliet PV · Solar · 4.6 MW · Michigan
• Watervliet · Waste · 4 MW · Michigan
• Allegan Dam · Hydro · 2.6 MW · Michigan
• Berrien Springs · Hydro · 7.2 MW · Michigan

Location

Coordinates 42.323, -86.3146 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions