LEILA FADEL, HOST:
After Microsoft agreed to buy electricity from the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, it's planning to reopen - five years after shutting down. The U.S. has never restarted a nuclear power plant like this, but there is growing demand for electricity that doesn't contribute to climate change. And unlike fossil fuels, nuclear plants don't directly release greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide. Rachel McDevitt with WITF in Harrisburg has been following this story. Hi, Rachel.
RACHEL MCDEVITT, BYLINE: Hi, Leila.
FADEL: So listeners may recognize the name of Three Mile Island because it was the site of the most serious nuclear accident in U.S. history, in 1979, but the plant was still generating power until it shut down in 2019. So why restart it now?
MCDEVITT: Yeah. Three Mile Island has this reputation as, like, a disaster site, but here it's a pretty familiar part of the landscape. We can actually see it here from the radio station. The plant originally had two reactors. One was damaged in that partial meltdown, and the other reactor operated safely until fairly recently. But the plant ultimately shut down because of finances. It couldn't compete with cheaper natural gas and renewables on the grid at the time. But now power demand is up all across the country, and that's in part because of more demand from data centers used for things like artificial intelligence. And companies like Microsoft are looking for carbon-free power. Microsoft wants to power all its operations with zero emissions this decade, which is pretty ambitious.
FADEL: You point out this plant has a reputation as a disaster site, fair or unfair. So how are people reacting to it being restarted?
MCDEVITT: The reaction here has been pretty varied. Some local opposition groups have already raised concerns about safety at the plant, what will happen to additional nuclear waste and the cost. They really don't want taxpayers or rate payers to have to pay more to get the plant back up and running. But a lot of local officials have said it's good economic news for the area. David Blechertas is the manager of Londonderry Township, where the plant is located.
DAVID BLECHERTAS: Three Mile Island was always a good partner in the community and for the township. For decades, they had a great workforce and contributed positively to the local economy.
MCDEVITT: Before the plant closed, it had about 600 employees with fairly high-paying jobs, and it also paid a lot of taxes. I also put out a call to listeners here, and their reactions were split. Some people have a vivid memory of this accident and they don't want to see a restart, but others think it's necessary to have more emissions-free power.
FADEL: Talk more about that part of it - emissions-free power. You mentioned Microsoft is buying this power in part to meet its climate goals. How does restarting this nuclear plant help them do that?
MCDEVITT: Basically, Microsoft will pay for this power to cover the energy needs of its data centers in the region as a way to avoid increasing demand for fossil fuel power. Jesse Jenkins researches energy systems at Princeton University.
JESSE JENKINS: And one way to think about it is that Microsoft is effectively neutralizing the impact of their data center on the grid by ensuring that when they add this new demand, they're also adding an equivalent amount of new, round-the-clock, clean electricity supply.
MCDEVITT: Jenkins says we need to add much more clean energy to the grid to meet growing demand, so where it's possible, it's important to preserve the existing nuclear fleet. There are very few old nuclear plants that could be restarted. The only other one trying to reopen right now is Palisades in Michigan.
FADEL: That's Rachel McDevitt with WITF in Harrisburg, Pa. Thank you, Rachel.
MCDEVITT: Thank you.
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