Holtec pitches nuclear-solar power vision for NJ as lawmakers weigh energy future
Point Pleasant, NJ — In a high-stakes appearance before New Jersey’s top energy lawmakers last Thursday, Holtec International executives laid out an ambitious plan to make the Garden State a national hub for next-generation clean energy — urging swift action to unlock a wave of investment, job creation, and energy independence.
Speaking before a rare joint session of the State Senate Environment and Energy Committee and the Assembly’s Environment, Natural Resources, and Solid Waste Committee, Holtec CEO Dr. Kris Singh and President Kelly Trice outlined a sweeping vision to transform the decommissioned Oyster Creek nuclear plant in Ocean County into the nation’s first nuclear–solar hybrid power facility.
“This is an inflection point in energy history,” Singh told lawmakers, arguing that New Jersey is uniquely positioned to lead the next industrial era if it embraces scalable, carbon-free power. “With electricity demand set to soar due to AI and reshoring of manufacturing, the states that move now will reap the rewards.”
Holtec is proposing to build four of its 300-megawatt SMR-300 small modular reactors at the former Oyster Creek site in Lacey Township — while also adding a solar energy capture facility capable of generating an additional 80 megawatts. According to Singh, the hybrid project could produce more than 1,350 megawatts of clean electricity, doubling the output of the original plant before it shut down in 2019.
The location offers a rare combination of advantages: existing transmission infrastructure, access to major population centers like New York City and Philadelphia, and enough land to accommodate both technologies — all while avoiding the lengthy development timelines of building new sites from scratch.
“This is not just about power,” Trice added. “It’s about jobs, manufacturing, and a whole new industry born in New Jersey, built by New Jerseyans.” He pointed to Holtec’s $300 million manufacturing facility in Camden — located on the site of a once-derelict shipyard — as proof the company can deliver on large-scale redevelopment and employment.
Much of Holtec’s testimony focused on replicating the model already underway in Michigan. At the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Covert Township, Holtec is restarting an 800-MW reactor that was previously shut down. The effort, supported by a $1.52 billion federal loan guarantee and $300 million in Michigan state funding, has created hundreds of permanent jobs and over a thousand construction roles — with two additional SMRs planned at the site by the early 2030s.
Trice told the New Jersey lawmakers that with bipartisan support, Palisades has become a national model for reviving nuclear energy. “We are proving that clean, reliable nuclear can power communities, drive economies, and do so with public and political backing.”
New Jersey has signaled increasing openness to nuclear’s role in its clean energy future. In June, the state established a Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee to evaluate how nuclear fits into broader decarbonization goals. Holtec’s executives framed their proposal as the kind of opportunity the committee was created to explore — and urged immediate policy action to make New Jersey a national energy leader in the decade ahead.
Singh closed by warning that decisions made today will shape the state’s economic and environmental future for generations. “The stars are aligned,” he said. “Now is the moment to act.”
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Key Points
- Holtec International proposed turning the Oyster Creek site into the nation’s first nuclear-solar hybrid power plant
- Company executives said New Jersey could lead a clean energy boom, generating over 1,350 MW and thousands of union jobs
- The testimony highlighted parallels to Holtec’s Palisades Nuclear Plant restart in Michigan, backed by bipartisan support
Holtec says New Jersey is at a crossroads and could anchor the clean energy economy if lawmakers act now