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Three Mile Island, the site of the worst nuclear disaster in the United States, is reopening and will exclusively sell power to Microsoft as the company searches for energy sources to fuel its AI ambitions.The former Three Mile Island power plant will restart the unit 1 nuclear reactor as part of a deal with Microsoft, the Constellation Energy Corporation announced Friday morning.The unit 1 reactor was shut down five years ago due to economic reasons. The restart comes as Microsoft signed a 20-year deal with Constellation to provide power for Microsoft’s data centers. Financial terms of the 20-year agreement, which Constellation called the largest ever, weren’t disclosed.The agreement paves the way for what the companies are calling the Crane Clean Energy Center.Constellation says they expect the refurbished power plant to be online in 2028.Restart planConstellation plans to make significant investments to restore:The plant’s turbineGeneratorMain power transformerCooling and control systemsRestarting a nuclear reactor requires:Approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory CommissionA thorough safety and environmental reviewPermits from relevant state and local agenciesConstellation will seek a license renewal to extend plant operations until at least 2054.Company leaders release statementsConstellation President and CEO Joe Dominguez | “Powering industries critical to our nation’s global economic and technological competitiveness, including data centers, requires an abundance of energy that is carbon-free and reliable every hour of every day, and nuclear plants are the only energy sources that can consistently deliver on that promise. … Before it was prematurely shuttered due to poor economics, this plant was among the safest and most reliable nuclear plants on the grid, and we look forward to bringing it back with a new name and a renewed mission to serve as an economic engine for Pennsylvania. We are especially honored to name this new plant after our former CEO Chris Crane, who was a fierce advocate for our business, devoting his entire career to the safe, reliable operation of our nation’s nuclear fleet, and we will continue that legacy at the Crane Clean Energy Center.”Microsoft VP of Energy Bobby Hollis | “This agreement is a major milestone in Microsoft’s efforts to help decarbonize the grid in support of our commitment to become carbon negative. Microsoft continues to collaborate with energy providers to develop carbon-free energy sources to help meet the grids’ capacity and reliability needs.”Why nuclear?Clean energy advocates and businesses alike are looking towards nuclear energy as a source of zero-carbon power that is a reliable baseload source. A big pro is that nuclear is able to stay on at all times of the day and night, unlike wind and solar.However, nuclear has drawn criticism for environmental groups for decades for its waste. The U.S. still has no permanent repository for that waste, instead storing it at over 70 operating and shuttered plants around the nation.Reopening of the Unit 1 reactor will add 3,400 direct and indirect jobs and add more than 800 megawatts of electricity to the grid, according to Constellation. It’s also expected to add $16 billion to Pennsylvania’s GDP, where the plant is located.History of Three Mile Island: America’s worst nuclear accidentVideo above: Archival video from 1979: Met-Ed officials announce partial meltdownThe Unit 2 reactor at Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Dauphin County partially melted down on March 28, 1979.A combination of equipment malfunctions, design-related problems, and worker errors led to the partial meltdown.The incident prompted major changes in:Emergency response planningOperator trainingRadiation protectionOther areas of nuclear power plant operationsThe U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission increased its oversight due to the incident.Unit 2 was permanently shut down after the accident.Cleanup officially ended in December 1993.CNN contributed to this report.
Three Mile Island, the site of the worst nuclear disaster in the United States, is reopening and will exclusively sell power to Microsoft as the company searches for energy sources to fuel its AI ambitions.
The former Three Mile Island power plant will restart the unit 1 nuclear reactor as part of a deal with Microsoft, the Constellation Energy Corporation announced Friday morning.
The unit 1 reactor was shut down five years ago due to economic reasons. The restart comes as Microsoft signed a 20-year deal with Constellation to provide power for Microsoft’s data centers.
Financial terms of the 20-year agreement, which Constellation called the largest ever, weren’t disclosed.
The agreement paves the way for what the companies are calling the Crane Clean Energy Center.
Constellation says they expect the refurbished power plant to be online in 2028.
Restart plan
- Constellation plans to make significant investments to restore:
- The plant’s turbine
- Generator
- Main power transformer
- Cooling and control systems
- Restarting a nuclear reactor requires:
- Approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- A thorough safety and environmental review
- Permits from relevant state and local agencies
- Constellation will seek a license renewal to extend plant operations until at least 2054.
Company leaders release statements
Constellation President and CEO Joe Dominguez | “Powering industries critical to our nation’s global economic and technological competitiveness, including data centers, requires an abundance of energy that is carbon-free and reliable every hour of every day, and nuclear plants are the only energy sources that can consistently deliver on that promise. … Before it was prematurely shuttered due to poor economics, this plant was among the safest and most reliable nuclear plants on the grid, and we look forward to bringing it back with a new name and a renewed mission to serve as an economic engine for Pennsylvania. We are especially honored to name this new plant after our former CEO Chris Crane, who was a fierce advocate for our business, devoting his entire career to the safe, reliable operation of our nation’s nuclear fleet, and we will continue that legacy at the Crane Clean Energy Center.”
Microsoft VP of Energy Bobby Hollis | “This agreement is a major milestone in Microsoft’s efforts to help decarbonize the grid in support of our commitment to become carbon negative. Microsoft continues to collaborate with energy providers to develop carbon-free energy sources to help meet the grids’ capacity and reliability needs.”
Why nuclear?
Clean energy advocates and businesses alike are looking towards nuclear energy as a source of zero-carbon power that is a reliable baseload source. A big pro is that nuclear is able to stay on at all times of the day and night, unlike wind and solar.
However, nuclear has drawn criticism for environmental groups for decades for its waste. The U.S. still has no permanent repository for that waste, instead storing it at over 70 operating and shuttered plants around the nation.
Reopening of the Unit 1 reactor will add 3,400 direct and indirect jobs and add more than 800 megawatts of electricity to the grid, according to Constellation. It’s also expected to add $16 billion to Pennsylvania’s GDP, where the plant is located.
History of Three Mile Island: America’s worst nuclear accident
Video above: Archival video from 1979: Met-Ed officials announce partial meltdown
- The Unit 2 reactor at Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Dauphin County partially melted down on March 28, 1979.
- A combination of equipment malfunctions, design-related problems, and worker errors led to the partial meltdown.
- The incident prompted major changes in:
- Emergency response planning
- Operator training
- Radiation protection
- Other areas of nuclear power plant operations
- The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission increased its oversight due to the incident.
- Unit 2 was permanently shut down after the accident.
- Cleanup officially ended in December 1993.
CNN contributed to this report.
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