Microsoft announced that it will source electricity from the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant to power its data centers and artificial intelligence efforts. The plant, operated by Constellation Energy and shut down after a 1979 nuclear accident, will be reopened in 2028 as the Crane Clean Energy Center.
Three Mile Island nuclear power plant to be revitalized
The agreement signed between Microsoft and Constellation covers the entire 20-year production capacity of the power plant. The plant, which has the capacity to generate 837 megawatts of electricity, will be able to meet the energy needs of more than 800 thousand homes.
With this agreement, Microsoft aims to achieve its goals of reducing carbon emissions and running its data centers entirely on renewable energy by 2025. Speaking on the subject, executive Bobby Hollis emphasized that the agreement is an important step in the company’s carbon-zero journey.
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According to Hollis, the deal reflects not only Microsoft’s need for clean and reliable energy sources, but also the rapidly growing data center industry. With the development of artificial intelligence technologies, increasing energy demand is driving interest in alternative sources such as nuclear power.
Constellation will invest $1.6 billion to restart the plant. The project will be realized after obtaining the necessary permits from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other relevant institutions.
There is also a negative view of nuclear power plants around the world. This step by Microsoft could be the beginning of a new era for the nuclear industry in the US.
