KEY POINTS
- Constellation plans to restart Three Mile Island by 2028.
- Microsoft will use the plant to power its data centers.
- Local opposition and regulatory challenges remain.
The iconic Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania is gearing up for a major revival as Constellation Energy partners with Microsoft to power its data centers.
This project, which is set to commence in early 2025 will be a major attempt to bring the plant back to life after it was closed down in 2019.
Constellation’s ambitious restart
The Three Mile Island plant, which became famous for the incident that went down in 1979 known as the partial meltdown, has remained inactive for several years. But then again, there has been plans by Constellation Energy to have the Unit 1 of the plant up and running once more by 2028.
This process was estimated to take at least four years and cost $1.6 billion. It will generate 835MW of power; enough to supply all households in Philadelphia while Microsoft has increasing electricity consumption.
According to Reuters, the move underscores the growing demand for clean energy in the tech industry, especially as companies like Microsoft strive to meet climate goals. Microsoft has committed to paying at least $100 per megawatt-hour for this power, nearly double the cost of renewable energy in the region.
Steps toward a nuclear revival
The restart involves refurbishing cooling towers, replacing key components, and reinstalling massive amounts of equipment that were removed after the plant shut down.
Constellation has already ordered critical supplies, including a $100 million transformer, and identified fuel sources for the reactor.
Around 1,000 workers will be deployed to the site for the project. The task includes restoring cooling towers, refurbishing reactor components, and maintaining the plant’s original analogue control room, which offers enhanced protection against cyberattacks.
The project has the potential of breathing new life into the nuclear industry that for many years has been a loser to cheap fuel and concern over their safety. As energy needs grow, major organizations such as Microsoft consider nuclear energy as efficient, carbon-free alternative.
Challenges and opposition
However, there are milestones that comprise this optimism of restarting a rejuvenated economy, as the following points will indicate. The plant calls for regulatory permits and licensing changes.
Local activists have vowed to challenge these permits due to safety and environmental concerns. Eric Epstein, a long-time opponent of the plant, recalls the 1979 meltdown and is leading efforts to prevent the restart.
While the entire procedure is transparent to the public, the first public hearing of the project is slated for October 25 where the opposition groups will be heard. Furthermore, the project might suffer from slippages and budget overrun which has been a thorn on the side of the US nuclear industry.
