Nuclear power for AI data centers: Microsoft has Three Mile Island reactivated
Microsoft urgently needs carbon-neutral electricity for its AI data centers. A decommissioned nuclear power plant in the USA is now to be reactivated.
The Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in the USA
(Image: United States Department of Energy)
Because Microsoft urgently needs CO₂-neutral electricity for its AI data centers, a decommissioned nuclear power plant in the USA is to be reactivated. The energy supplier Constellation announced in a press release that a unit at the Three Mile Island power plant is to be used for this purpose. It is to be reconnected to the grid as early as 2028.
Investments of 1.6 billion US dollars are required to make the power plant operational again. The contract stipulates that Microsoft will purchase the entire 837 megawatts of electricity produced for at least two decades. This is the first time that Microsoft has secured all the electricity from a nuclear power plant. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. Microsoft is aiming to become CO₂-neutral by 2030. However, the AI trend has recently led to a sharp rise in emissions.
Nuclear accident in the other block
Three Mile Island gained worldwide fame in 1979 due to the worst nuclear accident in the USA to date. A partial core meltdown occurred in reactor unit 2. The affected of the two units in Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) was then shut down permanently. However, the second reactor continued to operate for decades and was only shut down in 2019 for economic reasons.
The increased demand for electricity due to more and more data centers, e-cars and factories has led to renewed interest in nuclear power in the USA and the plants are economical to operate. From a customer perspective, high reliability around the clock and CO2 neutrality speak in favor of nuclear power, says the US energy supplier Constellation. It plans to rename the power plant the Crane Clear Energy Center. It is only the second concrete project in the USA to reactivate a decommissioned nuclear power plant.
Operator aims for approval by 2054
Extensive modifications will be necessary to recommission the plant. The turbine, generator and main power transformer need to be replaced. The cooling and control systems also need to be replaced. Constellation is also seeking a new operating license until 2054. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other authorities must agree to this.
(mki)