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Three-Mile Island nuclear site to reopen for $1.6 billion AI energy

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The Three-Mile Island nuclear site in Pennsylvania, notorious for the 1979 partial meltdown, is set to reopen under a deal between Microsoft and Constellation Energy Corporation. 

The agreement involves reviving the Unit 1 reactor to power Microsoft’s artificial intelligence operations with clean, carbon-free energy. 

As part of this 20-year partnership, Constellation Energy will provide 835 megawatts of power to Microsoft. 

The energy company plans to invest approximately $1.6 billion to restore the facility, aiming to bring it online by 2028. 

Microsoft sees this initiative as a significant step toward its commitment to carbon-neutral operations for its AI data centers. 

However, before operations can resume, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), along with state and local authorities, must approve the deal. 

The restoration of the plant is critical for meeting the rising energy demands of artificial intelligence. 

Industry experts, like Sabre56 CEO Phil Harvey, have emphasised that AI data centers require massive amounts of energy, often costing $3 million to $5 million per megawatt to operate. 

The historical context of the site includes the 1979 accident, which occurred in a separate reactor at Three-Mile Island. 

This incident, considered the most serious in US commercial nuclear history, was caused by a mechanical failure that led to a partial meltdown of the reactor core. 

Local residents were evacuated due to fears of radiation exposure, though the NRC later confirmed that the accident did not result in significant environmental or health hazards. 

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