Microsoft has agreed to purchase all the energy produced by the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, which has been offline since 2019. This facility, infamous for the 1979 reactor accident—still regarded as the worst incident in U.S. commercial nuclear power history—will be reopened by Constellation Energy to support a new initiative called the Crane Clean Energy Center. This center aims to generate nuclear energy specifically for Microsoft’s AI data centers.
The partnership represents a significant step in Microsoft’s sustainability efforts, as the company seeks to power its data centers with carbon-free energy. Bobby Hollis, Microsoft’s Vice President of Energy, stated that this agreement is a milestone in working towards a carbon-negative future by collaborating with energy suppliers to enhance the availability of carbon-free energy.
Jacopo Buongiorno, a nuclear science professor at MIT, noted that the agreement is beneficial for both parties, providing consistent revenue for the power plant while supplying constant emission-free electricity for Microsoft’s operations. He emphasized that relying on existing nuclear facilities can expedite the move towards decarbonization, particularly since constructing new plants can be expensive and time-consuming.
The Crane Clean Energy Center is projected to create approximately 3,400 direct and indirect jobs, contributing over 800 megawatts of carbon-free electricity to the grid, according to a study by the Pennsylvania Building & Construction Trades Council. Rob Bair, president of the Council, expressed optimism about the job creation potential and Pennsylvania’s position as a leader in clean energy.
Three Mile Island was closed in 2019 primarily for economic reasons, with Exelon Corp attributing the shutdown to a lack of financial support from the state. The plant’s Unit 1 reactor, reopening as part of this initiative, is adjacent to the defunct Unit 2, which is being decommissioned after its partial meltdown in 1979.
Local residents appear to support the plant’s restart, with a recent poll indicating a favorable opinion, as long as the necessary funding does not lead to increased taxes or electricity rates. Pennsylvania’s Governor Josh Shapiro affirmed the importance of nuclear energy in providing safe and reliable carbon-free power and reiterated the administration’s commitment to making energy affordable and sustainable for residents.