The US government, under Donald Trump’s administration, is providing a $1 billion loan to restart one of the country’s most debated power facilities.
Located near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the Three Mile Island nuclear plant gained notoriety when its unit two reactor experienced a partial meltdown in the late 1970s.
This incident is regarded as the most severe accident in the history of US commercial nuclear power, significantly undermining public trust in nuclear energy.
Although the second reactor has remained inactive for many years, the first reactor, which was not affected, was only decommissioned in 2019.
However, plans are now in place to reactivate unit one by 2027, supported by substantial government funding.
The Department of Energy announced the $1 billion loan on Tuesday, November 18.
This move is expected to benefit a particular sector that has seen considerable growth in recent years.
On March 28, 1979, a malfunction in the plant’s unit two reactor led to a partial meltdown.
The issue, a cooling failure, resulted in the core melting into the TMI-2 reactor, causing destruction and the release of radioactive gas.
Thankfully, according to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the event did not result in any injuries or fatalities.
About two million individuals around TMI-2 during the incident reportedly received a radiation dose averaging about one millirem above the normal background level, according to the NRC.
For comparison, a chest X-ray typically exposes a person to roughly six millirem.
Further studies have not found a correlation between the incident and an increase in cancer cases.
The primary reason for the renewed focus on the nuclear plant is its potential role in advancing artificial intelligence.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that the revitalization will assist in ensuring that America has the necessary energy to expand its manufacturing capabilities and succeed in the AI sector.
Upon returning to the White House in January, Trump committed to a $500 billion investment in the US’ AI infrastructure, aiming to surpass global competitors like China and the European Union.
As part of the agreement regarding Three Mile Island, Microsoft has committed to purchasing as much power as possible from the plant for a period of two decades.
This initiative aims to incorporate carbon-free electricity into the power grids supporting its operations, as reported by the New York Times.
With this revival comes a rebranding; the plant will be renamed the Crane Clean Energy Center.
The facility is slated to begin operations in 2027, contingent on regulatory approval.
The Department of Energy anticipates that the 835-megawatt reactor will generate sufficient electricity to supply power to 800,000 households.