Three Mile Island coming back online to power Microsoft’s growing AI operations

Sep 20

Jack Aylmer Anchor

By Jack Aylmer (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Ian Kennedy (Lead Video Editor)

The nuclear industry is experiencing a resurgence, driven in part by growing demand for clean energy. Constellation Energy’s decision to revive the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania is a significant development in this trend.

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The plant, which shut down in 2019 due to economic pressures that made it uncompetitive with cheaper natural gas and renewables, is getting a second chance.

Constellation plans to bring the Unit 1 reactor back online in 2028, pending approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The company is investing $1.6 billion to restart the reactor — a testament to the growing recognition of nuclear power’s role in reducing carbon emissions and meeting increasing demand for electricity.

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The deal is also a significant step forward for Microsoft, which has committed to powering its growing artificial intelligence operations with clean energy. The 20-year agreement with Constellation will provide 835 megawatts of clean electricity, enough to power a substantial chunk of Microsoft’s data center operations.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, nuclear power plants have been operating at a high capacity factor in recent years, making them a reliable source of electricity.

The Nuclear Energy Institute estimates that nuclear power plants in the United States prevent the emission of over 440 million metric tons of carbon dioxide each year — equivalent to taking 100 million cars off the road.

As demand for electricity continues to grow, driven by data centers, electric vehicles and more, nuclear power is emerging as a key player in the transition to a cleaner energy mix.

Constellation’s investment in the Three Mile Island plant is a significant step toward meeting this demand, and the company is set to add around 2,000 megawatts of nuclear power to the grid in the coming years — enough to power over 1.5 million homes.

Tags: Energy, International Energy Agency, Nuclear energy, nuclear plant, Pennsylvania, U.S. Energy Department

[jack aylmer]

ONCE THE SITE OF THE MOST SERIOUS ACCIDENT IN U-S NUCLEAR HISTORY – 3-MILE ISLAND IS COMING BACK ONLINE.

THE MOVE IS DRIVEN IN PART BY THE GROWING DEMAND FOR CLEAN ENERGY.

MICROSOFT PARTNERING WITH CONSTELLATION ENERGY TO POWER ITS GROWING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS WITH CLEAN ENERGY.

FRIDAY’S ANNOUNCEMENT MEANS CONSTELLATION ENERGY PLANS TO BRING THE UNIT 1 REACTOR BACK ONLINE IN 2028, PENDING APPROVAL FROM THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION, AND IS INVESTING $1.6 BILLION TO RESTART THE REACTOR.

THE THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR PLANT SHUT DOWN IN 2019 DUE TO ECONOMIC PRESSURES.

THE NEW 20-YEAR AGREEMENT WILL PROVIDE 835 MEGAWATTS OF CLEAN ELECTRICITY FROM THE THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR PLANT IN PENNSYLVANIA. ENOUGH TO POWER A SUBSTANTIAL CHUNK OF MICROSOFT’S DATA CENTER OPERATIONS.

SOME WORRY ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THREE MILE ISLAND’S UNIT 1 REACTOR BECAUSE OF THE PARTIAL MELTDOWN AT UNIT 2 IN 1979. HOWEVER, CONSTELLATION’S CEO SAYS UNIT 1 WAS NOT DAMAGED IN THE ACCIDENT AND HAS A STRONG SAFETY RECORD, HAVING OPERATED SUCCESSFULLY FOR OVER 40 YEARS BEFORE CLOSING.

ACCORDING TO THE U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION, NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS HAVE BEEN OPERATING AT HIGH CAPACITY IN RECENT YEARS, MAKING THEM A RELIABLE SOURCE OF ELECTRICITY.

ADDITIONALLY, THE NUCLEAR ENERGY INSTITUTE ESTIMATES THAT NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS IN THE UNITED STATES PREVENT THE EMISSION OF OVER 440 MILLION METRIC TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE EACH YEAR, EQUIVALENT TO TAKING 100 MILLION CARS OFF THE ROAD.

MICROSOFT’S VICE PRESIDENT OF ENERGY SEES THIS DEAL AS A MAJOR MILESTONE IN THE COMPANY’S EFFORTS TO REDUCE ITS CARBON FOOTPRINT. THE TECH INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE IS HUNGRY FOR CLEAN ENERGY TO POWER ITS EXPANDING DATA CENTERS, ADDING THIS AGREEMENT IS A SIGNIFICANT STEP TOWARDS MEETING THAT DEMAND.

CONSTELLATION IS SET TO ADD AROUND 2,000 MEGAWATTS OF NUCLEAR POWER TO THE GRID IN THE COMING YEARS, ENOUGH TO POWER OVER 1.5 MILLION HOMES.

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