Microsoft is making headlines for its involvement in a plan to reopen the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania. This move is driven by the company’s need for massive amounts of energy to power its growing AI infrastructure.
The Three Mile Island plant has a storied past, being the site of the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history. Despite its infamous reputation, Constellation Energy, the plant’s owner, is investing $1.6 billion to bring it back online by 2028. Microsoft has agreed to purchase all the nuclear energy produced by the plant for the next twenty years.
This deal is unprecedented in several ways. It marks Microsoft’s first venture into nuclear power and, if approved, will be the first time a decommissioned nuclear plant has been reopened in the U.S. Additionally, the allocation of an entire plant’s output to a single customer is a novel development.
The reopening of Three Mile Island is seen as a lifeline for the struggling nuclear industry. While nuclear power advocates may have preferred a different site, the move signifies a growing interest in nuclear energy among tech companies.
However, the plan faces significant hurdles. Constellation still requires approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the disposal of radioactive waste remains a controversial issue. The reopening of Three Mile Island raises questions about the future of nuclear power. While it offers a clean energy source, the association with a past accident and the potential for increased reliance on nuclear energy for AI purposes may be cause for concern.
Reference- Constellation Energy website, Futurism, Bloomberg report, The Washington Post