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Three Mile Island restart clears environmental review, with 2027 return still targeted

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Three Mile Island’s undamaged reactor has cleared a federal environmental review as its owner works toward restarting electricity production in 2027 under a long-term agreement with Microsoft.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission published its final environmental assessment Sept. 25, concluding that the proposed federal actions supporting the restart would have no significant environmental impact. The finding means the agency will not prepare a more extensive environmental impact statement for those actions.

The decision advances Constellation Energy’s effort to reopen Unit 1 in Dauphin County, now called the Crane Clean Energy Center. It does not, by itself, authorize the reactor to resume operating.

Constellation continues to identify 2027 as its expected return-to-service date. The company initially announced the project in September 2024, backed by a 20-year power purchase agreement with Microsoft.

The proposed restart concerns a different reactor from Unit 2, which suffered a partial meltdown on March 28, 1979. Unit 1 continued producing electricity for another four decades before shutting down in September 2019 for economic reasons. Unit 2 is not part of Constellation’s restart project.

Under the agreement, the reopened plant would provide 835 megawatts of electricity to the regional grid, supporting Microsoft’s data centers within the PJM system. The arrangement links the return of an existing nuclear plant to the technology company’s demand for carbon-free electricity.

Federal reviewers examined water, wildlife, public health, radioactive waste, and potential accidents, among other effects. They considered public comments before completing the assessment.

Constellation is seeking an exemption and three license amendments to restore operating authority through April 19, 2034. Separately, the company says it intends to pursue permission to operate until at least 2054.

Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection also has responsibilities at the site. While the NRC oversees reactor licensing, safety, operator training, and emergency preparedness, DEP handles state environmental requirements, including air and water permits.

DEP’s project information page, last updated July 13, lists a draft wastewater discharge permit issued in April. That permit governs releases to waterways; its draft status on the state’s page should not be read as confirmation of its current disposition.

For central Pennsylvania, the project would return a substantial source of electricity to the Susquehanna River site near Middletown. For now, the environmental finding marks progress through the approval process, while the actual restart remains a company target dependent on the remaining requirements.

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