Constellation Energy has plans to reopen the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant near Pennsylvania’s capital city of Harrisburg. The nuclear facility, situated on the Susquehanna River, shut down following a partial meltdown in 1979. This incident contributed to the slowdown in new reactor construction and led to tightened safety regulations.
Today, new reactor construction is ramping back up. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) recently announced a $1 billion loan to the energy firm to finance the restart of the Crane Clean Energy Center, located on Three Mile Island. Constellation Energy’s facility is an 835 MW nuclear power plant.
Restarting Three Mile Island’s Nuclear Power Plant
The reactor ceased operations in 2019, but was never fully decommissioned. It’s being brought back online due to the growing electricity demand, specifically to power data centers and ultimately support the era of artificial intelligence. According to Constellation Energy, the 835 MW reactor is expected to provide enough power equivalent to approximately 800,000 homes.
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“DOE’s quick action and leadership is another huge step towards bringing hundreds of megawatts of reliable nuclear power onto the grid at this critical moment,” said Joe Dominguez, president and CEO of Constellation.
Additionally, the DOW expects the Crane Restart project to generate over 600 jobs. A study from the Pennsylvania Building & Construction Trades Council shows further economic projections. According to the economic impact study, the reactor restart will add approximately 3,4000 direct and indirect jobs, generate over $16 billion for Pennsylvania’s GDP, and deliver over $3 billion in state and federal tax revenue.
“Constellation’s restart of a nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania will provide affordable, reliable, and secure energy to Americans across the Mid-Atlantic region,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “It will also help ensure America has the energy it needs to grow its domestic manufacturing base and win the AI race.”
Constellation Energy said that if all goes to plan, the reactor will restart operations in 2028 and continue to provide power until 2054.