Michigan nuclear plant shows the challenges the U.S. will face in safely restarting old reactors

Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan aims to become first reactor in U.S. history to restart operations after permanently closing.

Plant's steam generator tubes are crucial components that protect the public from a radiological release.

Plant owner Holtec International hopes to restart the plant this fall , subject to approval by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission .

Plant is one of a dozen reactors to close in recent years as nuclear energy has struggled to compete against cheaper natural gas and renewables.

Holtec's repair plan is scheduled to start this summer following inspection and testing.

The sleeve design that Holtec is proposing for the repairs has not been installed in steam generators before, a company filing says.

The sleeves are made of an alloy that has not shown signs of cracking in U.S. or international plants.

The issues with the tubes raise the question of whether the steam generators should be replaced.

Demand for nuclear power is growing again in the U.S. as states, utilities and the tech sector seek more reliable, carbon-free power.

An incident at Palisades "would be devastating for the entire industry," analyst says.