The owner of a shuttered US nuclear plant, Three Mile Island, has received a $1 billion federal loan guarantee. This will help the company restart the facility and sell electricity to Microsoft for its data centers. The deal aims to provide affordable energy to the Mid-Atlantic region and support America’s growing manufacturing base.
Critics argue that taxpayers should not bear the financial risk of big nuclear projects, which are often plagued by cost overruns and delays. Constellation, the plant’s operator, says it has no concerns about cost overruns since they’re refurbishing an existing facility rather than building a new one. The company plans to restart the reactor in 2028, providing 835 megawatts of electricity.
The loan guarantee is part of efforts to increase energy production and reduce emissions. Microsoft will purchase all the energy generated by the plant, paying a premium for low-emissions nuclear power. However, concerns remain about who should bear the financial risk of these projects.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/11/18/three-mile-island-nuclear-microsoft