Constellation on Sept. 20 announced the signing of a 20-year power purchase agreement with Microsoft that will pave the way for the restart of Three Mile Island Unit 1 in Pennsylvania, a nuclear power plant unit that was shut down for economic reasons five years ago.
Under the agreement, Microsoft will purchase energy from the renewed facility as part of its goal to help match the power its data centers in PJM use with carbon-free energy.
The Unit 1 reactor is located adjacent to TMI Unit 2, which shut down in 1979 and is in the process of being decommissioned by its owner, Energy Solutions.
TMI Unit 1 is a fully independent facility, and its long-term operation was not impacted by the Unit 2 accident in 1979.
To prepare for the restart, significant investments will be made to restore the plant, including the turbine, generator, main power transformer and cooling and control systems.
Restarting a nuclear reactor requires U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval following a comprehensive safety and environmental review, as well as permits from relevant state and local agencies.
Additionally, through a separate request, Constellation will pursue license renewal that will extend plant operations to at least 2054. The renewed unit is expected to be online in 2028.
Investor-owned Constellation purchased TMI Unit 1, in 1999. Before it was retired prematurely for economic reasons in 2019, the plant had a generating capacity of 837 megawatts.
In its last year of operation, the plant was producing electricity at maximum capacity 96.3 percent of the time – well above the industry average, Constellation said.
The plant will be renamed the Crane Clean Energy Center in honor of Chris Crane, who was CEO of Constellation’s former parent company and who passed away in April 2024.
DOE Offers Up to $1.52 Billion Conditional Commitment to Bring Mich. Nuclear Plant Back Online
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Energy through its Loan Programs Office announced the offer of a conditional commitment of up to $1.52 billion for a loan guarantee to Holtec Palisades to finance the restoration and resumption of service of an 800-megawatt electric nuclear generating station in Covert Township, Michigan.
The project aims to bring back online the Palisades Nuclear Plant, which ceased operations in May 2022, and upgrade it to produce baseload power until at least 2051, subject to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing approvals.
Holtec Palisades has already lined up long-term power purchase agreements for the full power output with rural electric co-ops Wolverine Power Cooperative and Hoosier Energy.
