Along the wide and scenic Susquehanna River near Harrisburg, Microsoft is reviving the nuclear power plant Three Mile Island. Infamous for the 1979 partial meltdown of one of its two reactors, it has been idle since 2019. But last year, Microsoft announced a deal with plant owner Constellation Energy to bring the nuclear facility’s remaining reactor back online and provide 835 megawatts of energy to help power its AI ambitions.
In some ways, this atomic handshake looks like the most palatable option for adding new energy onto an electric grid that sorely needs it. As increased demand from data centers and electrification outpaces energy supply, utility bills are on the rise and blackouts are more likely.
PJM Interconnection, a regional grid operator whose territory stretches from Chicago to Philadelphia to North Carolina, is warning of unprecedented electricity scarcity in the years ahead…