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A nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island, the site of the worst-ever nuclear incident in the United States, is set to be activated for the first time in five years after its owners secured an exclusive deal with Microsoft to sell power to the tech giant.
Microsoft wants a clean energy source to fuel its AI ambitions so it has turned to the Pennsylvania site with terms agreed on a 20-year plan, commencing in 2028 once essential upgrades have been completed at Three Mile Island.
The project is supported by President Biden’s climate bill but is subject to final approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Microsoft believes the time is right to land this strategic resource, given the vast computational demands of AI development and deployment, including power-hungry data centers.
On Friday, site owners Constellation Energy confirmed its Unit 1 reactor, shut down since 2019, will be the source of energy for the tech giant but stressed it was fully independent of the adjacent unit responsible for the high-profile incident five decades ago.
U.S. nuclear plant Three Mile Island, the site of one the worst nuclear accidents in American history, may reopen in 2028 with plans to supply energy to Microsoft. pic.twitter.com/8yFvCfFrXQ
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) September 21, 2024
The restart will be the first time a nuclear reactor has been recommissioned after closure in the States.
On March 28, 1979, the Unit 2 reactor core at Three Mile Island partially melted when equipment malfunctioned, exacerbated by human error. Thankfully, there were no injuries or deaths, but the serious incident turned the US public against nuclear power, creating suspicion and fear.
Significant impact on Pennsylvania’s finances
Joe Dominguez, Constellation Energy’s president and CEO, said “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.”
The agreement is said to be the largest-ever financial deal secured by Constellation, while it is expected to deliver 3,400 jobs, bringing in more than $3 billion in state and federal taxes, adding a bumper $16 billion to Pennsylvania’s GDP.
Bobby Hollis, Microsoft’s VP of Energy stated, “This agreement is a major milestone in Microsoft’s efforts to help decarbonize the grid in support of our commitment to become carbon negative.
Unlike wind and solar, nuclear can operate 24/7 as well as being emission-free, but critics point to the waste created. Further to this, the United States has no permanent sites for storage of the material. Instead, it is contained at many locations across the nation, both active and shuttered.
Analysis by the Guardian has indicated that data center emissions of four of the biggest tech companies, Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Apple, are significantly higher, about 662% or 7.62 times than officially reported.
Image credit: Via Ideogram
