Before the infamous Chornobyl disaster, there was a lesser-known nuclear accident in the United States at the Three Mile Island plant. This incident led to the immediate shutdown of the plant for several years. Interestingly, the U.S. had warned the Soviet Union about the risks posed by the RBMK reactor design, though these warnings were largely ignored.
In 2019, the remaining operational reactor at Three Mile Island was shut down because it was no longer economically viable, a decision made by the plant’s owner, Constellation Energy. However, Microsoft has recently stepped in to reverse this closure.
Three Mile Island nuclear power to power Microsoft AI
«The energy industry cannot be why China or Russia beat us in AI,»
said Constellation CEO Joseph Dominguez.
“This plant should never have been allowed to close. It will produce as much clean energy as all the renewables built in Pennsylvania in the last 30 years.”
The fight against carbon emissions is an interesting challenge for big tech companies. Despite Amazon’s claims to reduce their environmental impact, customers often notice that their deliveries still contribute to pollution.
After years of being overlooked, nuclear energy has gained renewed attention—not because it’s become better, but because it doesn’t release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. With the massive energy demands of AI, relying on nuclear power has become an effective way to lower the costs associated with this technology.
Constellation Energy has stated that Three Mile Island’s Reactor 1 operates with full safety protocols. It’s important to note that the infamous 1979 accident occurred at Reactor 2, entirely separate from Reactor 1. Reactor 1 continued functioning until 2019. Meanwhile, Microsoft proudly highlights its commitment to achieving carbon neutrality.
“This agreement is an important milestone in Microsoft’s efforts to help decarbonize the network in support of our commitment to being carbon negative.”says a Microsoft statement.
It’s interesting to learn that Microsoft has been involved in the efforts to reopen the Three Mile Island reactor since 2023. A recent inspection confirmed the facility is in excellent condition, paving the way for its revival.
This reopening is expected to create between 600 and 3,400 new regional jobs. Now renamed the Crane Clean Energy Center, the reactor will generate 835 MW of power, helping to meet the growing energy demands of technology and AI development.
