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On this date in 1962, the reactor at a new nuclear power plant near Charlevoix went online.
Big Rock Point, which was open until 1997, was owned and operated by Consumers Power, now known as Consumers Energy. The power plant was the first nuclear plant in Michigan, and the fifth in the nation.
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Ground was broken for the plant in July 1960, and reports said it took $27.7 million to build.
The plant’s boiling water reactor was made by GE, and a famous face made a promotional video for the plant: then-actor Ronald Reagan.
Reagan often worked with GE during this time, and he narrated and appeared onscreen for the Big Rock video. According to this YouTube video, the film was show at the Big Rock visitors center for years.
Big Rock was around until 1997, when Consumers Energy said it wasn’t economically feasible to operate.
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