Microsoft aims to reopen Three Mile Island nuclear plant for AI infrastructure

Microsoft is backing efforts to reopen the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania to meet the growing energy demands of its AI data centers, according to The Washington Post.

The facility, known for the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history in 1979, was shut down in 2019 but is now set to be revitalized with a $1.6 billion investment from Constellation Energy, expected to be operational by 2028.

As part of the agreement, Microsoft will purchase all of the plant’s nuclear energy for 20 years, marking the first time the tech giant has secured a nuclear power source. This deal, pending regulatory approval, would also set a precedent as the first instance of a decommissioned nuclear plant being revived in the U.S.

Constellation CEO Joseph Dominguez emphasized the importance of the plant's reopening, claiming it could produce as much clean energy as all renewable sources combined in Pennsylvania over the past three decades.