Microsoft-backed Three Mile Island reboot meets data centre backlash
A 262-tonne transformer that had been shipped from South Korea arrived in Pennsylvania this week as the US state pushes ahead with plans to revive the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor . The restart of the plant, which suffered a partial meltdown in 1979, has emerged as a crucial test to see whether the tech companies driving the artificial intelligence race can build new power sources without…
A 262-tonne transformer recently arrived in Pennsylvania as the state progresses with its plan to reactivate the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor. The restart has become a critical test for tech giants leading the AI race to develop new energy sources without provoking further public outrage over escalating energy expenses and environmental worries.
Constellation Energy, the entity spearheading the TMI refurbishment, unveiled footage on Wednesday of the initial of three substantial transformers en route to the Middletown site. The company has rebranded Unit 1 as the Crane Clean Energy Centre, with the renovation plan anchored in the AI boom's demand for power to fuel the surge in data centres.
Microsoft, a key partner in this effort, committed to a 20-year power agreement with Constellation to supply energy for its data centres. However, the burgeoning opposition to data centres due to noise, water usage for cooling, surging electricity costs, and apprehensions about AI's impact on employment has stirred a backlash, particularly ahead of the November US midterm elections.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, has enacted new regulations to hold data centre developers more accountable, potentially complicating their development without meeting specific criteria. Despite these developments, Shapiro remains supportive of reviving TMI Unit 1, which has been dormant since 2019. The restart of the reactor near the site of the 1979 partial meltdown prompts concerns, including safety apprehensions and the 2024 taxpayer loan of $1 billion provided to Constellation to expedite the restart.
Additionally, there are objections to using water from the Susquehanna River for the reactor, with almost all 440 public comments opposing the plan. The anti-AI sentiment appears poised to gain further traction in the run-up to the elections, with critics arguing that the push for data centres and nuclear power has contributed to higher electricity prices and water depletion.
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