HARRISBURG, September 20 – State Representative Rob Matzie, a Democrat from Beaver and the majority chair of the House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee, expressed his support following the announcement that Constellation Energy plans to restart the inactive Three Mile Island Reactor 1 by 2028.
“Pennsylvania is a leader in power generation, yet our electric grid faces unprecedented demands,” Matzie stated.
The restart of Reactor 1 is expected to enhance capacity and provide flexibility to meet these demands. Matzie highlighted the benefits of this decision, stating that it would not only facilitate clean energy production but also generate billions in tax revenue and create thousands of well-paying jobs, along with additional opportunities in supporting sectors.
He further noted that Microsoft, one of the largest companies globally, has committed to purchasing the emissions-free energy produced by the plant to power its data centers.
Matzie emphasized the importance of the permitting process and called for diligence and transparency from Constellation and government entities as they move forward with the project.
The restart of Three Mile Island is projected to create over 3,000 direct jobs and contribute more than $3 billion in economic activity annually.
Pennsylvania has a rich history in nuclear energy, being home to the first commercial nuclear power plant, which began operation in 1957 in Beaver County. Currently, the state operates eight nuclear reactors at four sites, providing one-third of its electricity production with zero emissions.