Pilgrim

Basic Facts:

  • Location: Plymouth, Massachusetts
  • Owner / Operator: Holtec International
  • Construction Cost: $600M (2018$)
  • Plant Output: 680 MW
  • Property Size: 1,600 acres
  • Employees: 600
  • Status: DECON
  • Current DTF Balance: $1.0B (2018$)
  • DTF Balance Prior to Decommissioning: $640M (2018$)
  • Decommissioning Cost Estimate: $640M (2018$)
  • Spent Nuclear Fuel on Site: 600 metric tons
Pilgrim Photo

Background

The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station is a 680MW boiling water reactor that first came online in 1972 after four years of construction. In 2012, the plant received a renewal of its operating license extending the licensed life of the plant to 2032. In 2015, and citing economic considerations, plant owners announced their intent to permanently close Pilgrim in 2019.

Decommissioning

In August of 2018, Entergy announced plans to sell the subsidiary that owns Pilgrim, after its shutdown and reactor defueling, to a Holtec International subsidiary for decommissioning. Regulatory approvals of this sale, and a timeline for decommissioning, are pending. The state’s Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens’ Advisory Panel (NDCAP) advises the Governor and educates citizens on activities related to the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station shut down.

Socioeconomics

Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station plant is located within Plymouth County, Massachusetts. As of 2016:

  • Population: 500,000
  • Per Capita Annual Income: $64,000
  • Unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted): 3.9%

The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station pays $9.8M in state and local taxes annually, accounting for approximately 10% of the Town of Plymouth’s total tax revenue. Pilgrim’s annual payroll is approximately $77M including benefits.

Contact Information

Economic Development Administration Representative:

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Unless specific costing information has been provided, decommissioning costs were derived from 2017 Decommissioning Funding Status Report.
Information herein obtained from public sources. Corrections are welcome and may be directed to [email protected].

Additional Information

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $3.8 Million to Support Job Growth and Economic Diversification Efforts in Plymouth

June 1, 2021

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $3.8 Million to Support Job Growth and Economic Diversification Efforts in PlymouthWASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $3.8 million grant to the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts, to make water infrastructure improvements needed to attract new industries […]

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Much work remains as Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station moves toward decommissioningMuch work remains as Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station moves toward decommissioning

December 4, 2020

Much work remains as Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station moves toward decommissioning PLYMOUTH – At first glance, not much has changed at Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station since it shut down for a final time a year and a half ago. The big reactor building still looms large over the site, which includes dozens of smaller structures. […]

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Agreement reached on decommissioning of Pilgrim nuclear site

June 18, 2020

Agreement reached on decommissioning of Pilgrim nuclear site PLYMOUTH – A settlement on the decommissioning of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station has been reached.

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Summary of Local In-Depth New Coverage re: Pilgrim

March 1, 2020

Award Submission: Pilgrim Nuclear Shuts Down, Leaving Radioactive Waste and Unanswered Questions Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant in Plymouth Massachusetts was one of the worst-performing plants in the country before it shut down in May of 2019. The plant was cited numerous times in the years leading up to the shutdown, prompting WCAI to increase its […]

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Push for better storage of spent Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station fuel

February 25, 2020

Push for better storage of spent Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station fuel Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station was permanently shut down in May, but more than 4,000 radioactive spent fuel assemblies will continue to be stored at the Plymouth site for the foreseeable future.Citizen activists in Barnstable County communities will ask voters at spring town meetings, or […]

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Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station warns of layoffs as decommissioning continues

February 4, 2020

Shuttered nuclear Power station warns of layoffs PLYMOUTH – Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station – which stopped generating power in May 2019 after more than 46 years – plans to lay off 60 to 70 employees in April as decommissioning continues. The power plant filed notice under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act last week with […]

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Lawmakers seek safeguards on nuclear plant decommissioning

January 27, 2020

Lawmakers seek safeguards on nuclear plant decommissioning Despite the objections of Attorney General Maura Healey, the Baker administration and local advocacy groups, federal regulators approved the transfer of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station license to a company that plans to decommission the plant on an “accelerated basis.”

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Lawmakers Seek Safeguards On Nuclear Plant Decommissioning

January 24, 2020

Lawmakers Seek Safeguards On Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Lawmakers are seeking additional influence over the decommissioning of the recently shuttered Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, but a representative for the company conducting the work argued Wednesday that those attempts may be unconstitutional.

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Proposed bylaw would regulate truck traffic as Pilgrim Station is torn down

January 20, 2020

Proposed bylaw would regulate truck traffic as Pilgrim Station is torn down Plymouth doesn’t have much oversight of the goings-on at Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, but it hopes to exert influence on the comings and goings there. PLYMOUTH – Plymouth doesn’t have much oversight of the goings-on at Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, but it hopes […]

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The Future Of Pilgrim Power Plant

December 28, 2019

The Future Of Pilgrim Power Plant The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station closed May 31, ended nuclear power generation in Massachusetts. While the doors of the plant have closed, many questions about its future remain. Here to bring us up to date and help us look forward is WBUR environmental editor Barbara Moran.

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