Microsoft has agreed to a 20-year deal with Constellation Energy to revive the shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania, aiming to power its growing artificial intelligence data centres with carbon-free electricity.
Three Mile Island, infamous for a 1979 partial meltdown in its Unit 2 reactor, has been a symbol of nuclear power’s risks. This restart attempt focuses on the separate, undamaged Unit 1.
Constellation plans to invest $1.6 billion to restart the plant’s undamaged Unit 1 reactor by early 2028, pending regulatory approvals.The 837-megawatt reactor, which closed in 2019 due to economic pressures, will be renamed the Crane Clean Energy Center.
This marks the first time Microsoft has secured a dedicated, 100% nuclear facility for its use. The Redmond giant will have exclusive rights to the reactor’s entire output, helping fuel data centre expansions in Chicago, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
“This agreement is a major milestone in Microsoft’s efforts to help decarbonize the grid,” said Bobby Hollis, Microsoft’s vice president of energy. The company aims to run all its global data centres on clean energy by 2025.
Three Mile Island, infamous for a 1979 partial meltdown in its Unit 2 reactor, has been a symbol of nuclear power’s risks. This restart attempt focuses on the separate, undamaged Unit 1.
Constellation plans to invest $1.6 billion to restart the plant’s undamaged Unit 1 reactor by early 2028, pending regulatory approvals.The 837-megawatt reactor, which closed in 2019 due to economic pressures, will be renamed the Crane Clean Energy Center.
This marks the first time Microsoft has secured a dedicated, 100% nuclear facility for its use. The Redmond giant will have exclusive rights to the reactor’s entire output, helping fuel data centre expansions in Chicago, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
“This agreement is a major milestone in Microsoft’s efforts to help decarbonize the grid,” said Bobby Hollis, Microsoft’s vice president of energy. The company aims to run all its global data centres on clean energy by 2025.
‘Largest-ever power purchase deal’
Constellation CEO Joe Dominguez called the agreement their largest-ever power purchase deal, stating, “There’s no version of the future of this country that doesn’t rely on these nuclear assets.”
The project faces potential hurdles, including regulatory reviews, equipment upgrades, and grid connection challenges. However, if successful, it could mark a turning point for the nuclear industry and the tech sector’s approach to powering AI infrastructure.
The revival requires approvals from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and state and local agencies. Constellation will also seek to extend the plant’s operating licence through 2054.