Three Mile Island, the Three Mile Nuclear Station near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has has been closed since 2019. Now the island is set to reopen by 2028 power Microsoft's data centerswhich are fundamental to the technology giant it AND cloud computing businesses.

Constellation Energy, the owner of the energy unit, announced the 20-year deal on Friday, which includes Microsoft purchasing power from the restored plant. Restarting the plant means a 1.6 billion dollars investment to revive it, make sure everything is up to date and get the necessary permits and licenses. Still, the payoff is significant — the plant could create 3,400 new jobs directly and indirectly, and add $16 billion to Pennsylvania's GDP.

Microsoft's decision to turn to nuclear power is a sign of the high amounts of power required for the AI ​​boom. According to BloombergAI has increased demand for carbon-free electricity – and Microsoft's move to buy nuclear power for 20 years, the first deal the tech giant has signed of its kind, is the latest move to meet that need.

^{Three Mile Island. Credit: Getty Images}

Since the deal was announced, opinions have been mixed on how to proceed. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro support deal and wants it”acceleratedResidents of Perry County, Pennsylvania, however, are writing letters to the newspaper pointing out that the nuclear waste problem or by-products must be addressed before the plant is opened.

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Dr. Michael Goff, acting assistant secretary of the Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy, DECLARING that the restart was “an important milestone”.

“Always-on, carbon-free nuclear power plays an important role in combating climate change and meeting the nation's growing energy demands,” Goff said.

Three Mile Island was once known as the place of worst accident in US commercial operating history. In March 1979, part of the power plant melted down and released small amounts of radioactivity. incident inspired greater rules AND led to less public trust however in nuclear power in the following decades there were no injuriesdeath or long-term health effects observed from the accident.