US approves $1B loan to restart Three Mile Island nuclear reactor

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has approved a $1 billion loan to Constellation Energy to restart the Three Mile Island Unit 1 nuclear reactor in Pennsylvania, aiming for full operation by 2027. The 835-megawatt reactor, capable of powering approximately 800,000 homes, was shut down in 2019 due to financial losses and lack of state support but never dismantled. The restart is part of a long-term power agreement with Microsoft, which plans to use the clean energy to support its expanding data center operations, particularly for artificial intelligence and cloud computing workloads. The project aligns with a broader federal initiative to renew existing energy infrastructure and bolster nuclear power as a stable, low-carbon energy source amid rising electricity demand. Constellation Energy has renamed the facility the Crane Clean Energy Center and is undertaking extensive repairs and upgrades to key equipment, including turbines, generators, cooling systems, and control systems. The estimated total cost of the restart is about $1.6