NorthStar completes acquisition of Vallecitos Nuclear Center for decommissioning

The 1,600-acre nuclear research facility and power plant, previously owned by GE Vernova and GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas (GEH), will now undergo full decontamination, decommissioning, and environmental restoration.

Although the Vallecitos facility only provided electricity to the general public from 1957 to 1963, it was the first commercially owned nuclear plant in the US to do so. In 1975 it became a research centre and was used by the Atomic Energy Commission’s (AEC) Nuclear Energy Program and the civilian nuclear power industry.

While the AEC—the predecessor agency to the DOE, stopped using the site in 1982, Vallecitos continued to operate as a private-sector research facility.

The deal for its transfer to NorthStar was first announced in May 2023, with the license transfer and other closing conditions finalised in March 2025.

“Our team has developed deep experience in the safe and efficient decontamination, decommissioning, and restoration of former nuclear reactor sites across the country,” said Scott State, CEO of NorthStar.

NorthStar has already undertaken some work at the site. In November 2023, the company completed the removal of the Vallecitos Boiling Water Reactor and transported it to a disposal facility in Texas operated by its affiliate, Waste Control Specialists.

The site currently still comprises test reactors, laboratories, and hot cell facilities. According to NorthStar, the aim is to restore the site to a condition suitable for commercial or industrial reuse.

The transfer follows a model used in NorthStar’s acquisition of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station in 2018. NorthStar, through a joint venture, is also decommissioning the Crystal River 3 nuclear reactor in Florida under contract with Duke Energy.