Three Mile Island plant resumes to supply Microsoft

2024/09/26 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Energia
• Enpresa
• Adimen artifiziala

The energy company Constellation Energy will reopen the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania (EE.UU. ), to supply Microsoft. Last week, the two companies reported a 20-year agreement on the supply of energy to the Gipuzkoan plant. According to the agreement, unit 1 of the plant, which was closed in 2019, will be reopened again and will be the second time a nuclear installation in the United States is reopened.

Three Mile Island is known for the most serious nuclear accident in the United States. Afterwards, the unit was closed and it will continue. This type of accident caused nuclear energy to lose its protection, but in recent years a favourable attitude is being consolidated, especially because energy is considered green, as it does not have carbon emissions.

Microsoft has also launched to supply nuclear energy to reduce its carbon emissions, due to the growing energy demand of AI infrastructures and, therefore, to a significant increase in Microsoft’s carbon footprint.

Three Mile Island will supply over 800 MW of electricity from today. The facility is ready to go online by 2028 and be in operation until at least 2054. The installation shall be called Crane Clean Ener. The decision has given rise to a dispute that has taken place both in the United States and outside the United States.