Three Mile Island, site of 1979 nuclear disaster, could reopen
Nothing is official. But two sources told Reuters that the conversations were “beyond preliminary.”
JULY 11, 2024
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If you remember seeing Alien in theaters, your least favorite nuclear plant might be headed for a comeback. Energy company Constellation is in talks with Pennsylvania officials to restart a unit on Three Mile Island power facility, the location of the historic 1979 nuclear meltdown, according to a Reuters exclusive.
Nothing is official. But two sources told Reuters that the conversations were “beyond preliminary.”
Why now? When the plant was officially shuttered in 2019, the cost of nuclear energy couldn’t compete with cheap natural gas and highly subsidized green energy options. But now, there’s more demand for carbon-free(ish) energy—and nuclear has never looked more attractive to politicians. The power demand from data centers is expected to triple by 2030, requiring 9% of the US total power supply thanks to the rapid growth of AI development, per the Electric Power Research Institute.
Big picture: The US has never reopened a shuttered nuclear plant. There are numerous regulatory, financial, and environmental hurdles that would need to be cleared before a plant could flip the switch back on. But the nuclear industry wants to move quickly ahead of a potential change to a presidential administration that isn’t as keen on ditching fossil fuels as the current one.—MM