The most significant nuclear disaster in US history took place in 1979, when one of the reactors at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania suffered a partial meltdown. The resulting release of large amounts of radioactive gas terrified the public, and spurred an anti-nuclear movement. That reactor was shut down, but the other reactor at Three Mile kept operating safely for over 40 years, until finally closing in 2019. In a striking sign of the renewed interest in nuclear power, Constellation Energy plans to reopen that plant. The nuclear industry has learned valuable lessons from the accidents of the past, and advanced reactor designs make modern nuclear plants much safer than their predecessors. An excellent example of nuclear energy safety is France, which for many years has gotten 70% of its electricity from nuclear plants, and has never had a serious accident.

 

Until recently the US nuclear industry had been in decline. But with energy demand and concern about pollution rising, many states and businesses are reconsidering nuclear power, which can produce electricity around the clock with no pollution. Tech companies like Microsoft, Apple and Google have shown an increasing interest in nuclear power as they struggle to meet their growing energy needs. The data centres that we all rely on for our phones and computers require power 24 hours a day, and nuclear is the only way to provide it cleanly. As an example, Microsoft has signed a 20 year contract to buy power from the new Three Mile plant when it opens. Constellation plans to spend €1.5 billion to refurbish the reactor, and it will start providing power in 2028. It will have a capacity of 835 megawatts, which is enough electricity for more than 700,000 homes. The name “Three Mile Island” became shorthand for the risks posed by nuclear energy after the problem in 1979, but now a new chapter is being written. “The symbolism is enormous,” said Joseph Dominguez, chief executive of Constellation. “This was the site of one of the industry’s great failures, and now it can be a place of rebirth.”