Energy Company and Microsoft Deal: Three Mile Island Nuclear Unit to Restart by 2028 | WPN World People News

Constellation Energy, a U.S. energy company, has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Microsoft, planning to restart Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant by 2028 to supply electricity for Microsoft’s AI data centers. This initiative focuses on restarting the Unit 1 reactor, which is expected to provide 835 megawatts of power, sufficient to supply electricity to 700,000 homes.

This move highlights the growing demand for reliable and low-carbon energy among tech companies, particularly with the rapid expansion of AI and cloud computing, which significantly increases power needs. Nuclear energy, known for its stable power output and low carbon emissions, has become an attractive option for companies like Microsoft.

According to reports by Agence France-Presse (AFP), the agreement between Constellation Energy and Microsoft aims to restart Unit 1, which was unaffected by the 1979 meltdown. Constellation Energy noted in a statement that Unit 1 had "operated for decades with industry-leading safety and reliability until it was shut down five years ago due to economic reasons." However, this plan still requires approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and the plant’s operation is expected to extend until 2054. Three Mile Island’s Unit 1 was shut down in 2019​.