Fri Sep 20 14:15:17 UTC 2024: ## Three Mile Island to Restart Operations, Powering Microsoft’s Data Centers
**Harrisburg, PA -** The site of America’s worst nuclear accident, Three Mile Island, is set to restart operations in 2028 to power Microsoft’s data centers, Constellation Energy announced Friday. The move marks a significant return for nuclear energy in the U.S., driven by tech companies’ insatiable appetite for electricity to fuel the AI revolution.
The 20-year agreement involves restarting Unit 1, which operated safely and reliably for decades before being shut down in 2019 for economic reasons. Unit 1 was not involved in the 1979 partial meltdown at the plant, which caused a national panic and stalled nuclear energy development for years.
Microsoft will use the energy to support power grids in the mid-Atlantic region, which is experiencing significant strain from data centers’ massive energy consumption. This area, considered an internet crossroads, faces growing concerns about grid stability as AI demands increase.
“This agreement is a major milestone in our efforts to help decarbonize the grid,” said Bobby Hollis, Microsoft’s vice president of energy.
The decision by Microsoft to utilize nuclear power echoes a growing trend among tech giants like Amazon and Google. These companies are aggressively expanding their data center capabilities to meet the computing and electricity needs of the AI revolution. Amazon has already invested $650 million in a data center campus powered by another Pennsylvania nuclear plant.
While companies are also exploring the potential of smaller, modular reactors (SMRs), this technology is still in its early stages and lacks regulatory approval. Existing nuclear power options, like Three Mile Island, offer a more immediate solution.
The restart of Three Mile Island will be a major step in the resurgence of nuclear energy in the U.S., which is being driven by the need to meet the demands of the rapidly growing AI industry.
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