Wed Sep 25 02:25:00 UTC 2024: ## US Nuclear Power Plants Get New Life as Energy Demand Soars
**WASHINGTON, D.C.** – Two American energy companies are planning to restart shuttered nuclear power plants, a move that could help meet the rising demand for electricity in the United States and usher in a new era for nuclear energy.
The decision comes as the country seeks to transition to carbon-free resources, a push accelerated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its impact on global energy markets.
Constellation Energy has announced plans to restart a reactor at the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania, which was closed in 2019 for economic reasons. The plant is notorious for the 1979 accident, the worst commercial nuclear power accident in US history. This relaunch is part of a 20-year electricity supply contract with Microsoft.
Meanwhile, Holtec is seeking approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to resume operations at the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan, which shut down in 2022. This project, if approved, would be a world first.
“Everyone’s kind of watching what we’re doing with this project and seeing how viable it is,” said Holtec spokesperson Patrick O’Brien.
While the dismantling of a power plant typically takes decades, the Palisades site has not yet begun full decommissioning. At Three Mile Island, the fuel has been removed, but major equipment removal or demolition has not commenced.
Restarting an existing plant is significantly cheaper than building new ones. Holtec estimates the cost of restarting Palisades at $2 billion, while Constellation puts the cost of restarting Three Mile Island at $1.6 billion. This compares to over $30 billion for the construction of two new reactors currently under construction in Georgia.
The renewed interest in nuclear energy comes at a time when public opinion is shifting. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center found that 56% of Americans now support developing nuclear energy in the US, up from 43% just four years ago.
Experts believe that restarting existing plants is the fastest and most cost-effective way to increase nuclear energy capacity in the short term. However, they acknowledge that there are limitations, as there are not many mothballed plants suitable for restart.
While reactivation raises safety concerns, experts argue that these plants have been extensively monitored and maintained, and many components have been replaced over the years.
The Biden administration is backing this trend, providing a $1.5 billion loan to Holtec for the Palisades project. This move is seen as crucial to the nation’s transition to a clean energy future.
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