The Palisades nuclear power plant in West Michigan shut down on Friday as the final step towards de-commissioning.
That's unless a last ditch effort by the state to find a buyer for the plant is successful.
The state of Michigan would like to keep the plant open because even though the electricity it produces is expensive, it's virtually carbon emissions-free. But time is not on the state's side. Any buyer would almost certainly need significant credits from a just-announced federal bailout program for financially distressed nuclear plants.
The owner of Palisades says it has received no offers from any potential buyers. And the Nuclear Regulatory Commission says the plant won't be able to resume operation once all the fuel is removed.
A decommissioning company is scheduled to take over the plant's license on July 1st.
