Current:Home > ScamsSurpassing Quant Think Tank Center|Microsoft announces plan to reopen Three Mile Island nuclear power plant to support AI -WealthSphere Pro
Surpassing Quant Think Tank Center|Microsoft announces plan to reopen Three Mile Island nuclear power plant to support AI
SignalHub Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-08 04:54:54
A dormant nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania may soon be Surpassing Quant Think Tank Centerreactivated to help power some of the increasing energy needs of Microsoft.
On Friday, Constellation Energy and Microsoft announced the signing of a 20-year power purchasing agreement, in which one of the reactors at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant would be brought back online to exclusively serve the energy needs of the tech giant’s massive data centers that help support artificial intelligence.
Neither Constellation Energy nor Microsoft disclosed the financial terms of the deal.
Reviving the Unit 1 reactor at Three Mile Island, which was shut down in 2019, will require approval by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. If granted, the power plant is expected to return to operation in 2028.
A first for nuclear power
“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,” Joe Dominguez, president and CEO of Constellation Energy, said in a statement on Friday.
When Three Mile Island was shuttered for economic reasons in 2019, it had a generating capacity of 837 megawatts, enough to power more than 800,000 homes. Once brought back online, Constellation Energy said that it expected to once again generate more than 800 megawatts of electricity for Microsoft, as well as potentially add up $16 billion to Pennsylvania’s GDP along with 3,400 direct and indirect jobs.
No U.S. nuclear power plant has ever reopened after being decommissioned, which could make the Three Mile Island plant a first once it is brought back to operational status.
What happened at Three Mile Island
Three Mile Island, located near Harrisburg, is best known as the site of the most serious nuclear accident in U.S. history. In 1979, a mechanical failure caused the partial meltdown of the facility’s Unit 2 reactor, which has remained closed ever since. While the amount of radiation released during the accident was ultimately relatively minor, the incident was widely seen as causing public distrust of the nuclear power industry.
A statewide poll conducted by Susquehanna Polling & Research found state residents favoring restarting Three Mile Island by a more than 2-1 margin, according to Constellation Energy’s press release.
Recent power demands from tech companies, much of it driven by the vast energy resources required by data centers supporting artificial intelligence, has led them to seek out nuclear power options.
Earlier this year, Amazon Web Services announced plans to purchase energy for one of it’s data centers from Talen Energy’s Susquehanna nuclear power plant, also located in Pennsylvania.
"This agreement is a major milestone in Microsoft's efforts to help decarbonize the grid in support of our commitment to become carbon negative,” Microsoft VP of Energy Bobby Hollis said on Friday. “Microsoft continues to collaborate with energy providers to develop carbon-free energy sources to help meet the grids' capacity and reliability needs,"
Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at [email protected]
veryGood! (999)
Related
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- NYC man charged with hate crime after police say he yelled ‘Free Palestine’ and stabbed a Jewish man
- CAS won't reconsider ruling that effectively stripped Jordan Chiles of bronze medal
- Pennsylvania man accused of voting in 2 states faces federal charges
- The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
- Haason Reddick has requested a trade from the Jets after being a camp holdout, AP source says
- 3 killed when a train strikes a van crossing tracks in Virginia
- New Massachusetts law bars circuses from using elephants, lions, giraffes and other animals
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- Book Review: ‘Kent State’ a chilling examination of 1970 campus shooting and its ramifications
Ranking
- Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
- Hoda Kotb tearfully reflects on motherhood during 60th birthday bash on 'Today' show
- Matt Kuchar bizarrely stops playing on 72nd hole of Wyndham Championship
- 50 best friend quotes to remind you how beautiful friendship really is
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- US Rep. Ilhan Omar, a member of the progressive ‘Squad,’ faces repeat primary challenge in Minnesota
- Disney Alum Skai Jackson Arrested for Misdemeanor Spousal Battery After Alleged Fight
- 'Unbelievably good ending': 89-year-old missing hiker recovered after almost 10 days
Recommendation
Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
US wholesale inflation cooled in July in sign that price pressures are continuing to ease
A Full Breakdown of Jordan Chiles and Ana Barbosu's Olympic Controversy That Caused the World to Flip
3 killed when a train strikes a van crossing tracks in Virginia
Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
Want to speed up a road or transit project? Just host a political convention
The New York Times says it will stop endorsing candidates in New York elections
Porsha Williams Mourns Death of Cousin and Costar Yolanda “Londie” Favors