Microsoft plans to restart Three Mile Island nuclear power plant that narrowly averted disaster

Microsoft is engaged on a deal that will deliver the infamous Three Mile Island nuclear energy plant again to life, It is reported washington post. If that title sounds acquainted, that is as a result of a reactor at a Pennsylvania nuclear energy plant suffered a partial meltdown Back to 1979.

The deal will make Microsoft the plant’s sole buyer for 20 years, that means it should preserve one hundred pc of the facility for itself. Why does the corporate want a lot juice? You may take a guess. That is for synthetic intelligence, i.e. Notoriously power hungry. Look, if it takes a whole nuclear energy plant to get Bing to create an image of Steve Urkel driving a skateboard in area, then we have now to do it. That is the long run…or one thing.

Let’s break it down additional. If the deal is authorised by regulators, Three Mile Island will present Microsoft with sufficient power to energy 800,000 houses. Once more, no residence has entry to this power, however don’t fret. Microsoft will be capable of host a dwell occasion showcasing some scary new AI video era device or one thing.

I do know I am like an actual caveman right here, however there’s a silver lining. This might assist Microsoft ship on its promise to energy synthetic intelligence with zero-emission electrical energy. It isn’t like these firms would surrender on AI if there weren’t decommissioned nuclear energy vegetation round, so the transfer might assist relieve a number of the stress on our grid attributable to historical AI.

If authorised, this could be an unprecedented deal for a number of causes. Industrial energy vegetation have by no means earlier than been devoted to serving one buyer. This may even be the primary time a decommissioned energy plant has been introduced again on-line. It’s value noting that the plant closed 5 years in the past attributable to financial causes, and Partially collapsed since 1979. Present plans are to renew operations by 2028.

“The power trade is just not going to be the explanation China or Russia beat us in synthetic intelligence,” stated Joseph Dominguez, chief government of Constellation, which owns the manufacturing unit. I take his jingoistic language with a grain of salt, although, as a result of Constellation will make quite a lot of money from this deal.

Let’s do some math. Common annual revenue of nuclear energy vegetation $470 million. Microsoft would be the unique purchaser of the power for 20 years, with a complete worth of $9.4 billion. Constellation will spend $1.6 billion to get the vegetation working once more, with federal subsidies and tax breaks offered by the Inflation Restoration Act. That left a wholesome revenue of $7.8 billion. That is only a guess, however you get the gist. firm did commit $1 million “Charitable donations to the area” over the subsequent 5 years. That is $200,000 per yr.

This isn’t finished but. Constellation should bounce by many regulatory hurdles. That included intensive security inspections by the federal Nuclear Regulatory Fee, which by no means licensed the plant to reopen. There may additionally be an investigation into the stated tax break as all of the power goes to a personal firm moderately than serving the group as a complete. However come on. Steve Urkel skateboards in area.

On the plus aspect, Constellation will want about 600 staff to function the plant, according to new york times. Works nice. As well as, the corporate stated it is not going to search any further subsidies from Pennsylvania. The Palisades Nuclear Energy Plant in Michigan additionally Seeking to reopenbut it surely plans to serve native energy grids moderately than be a behemoth of synthetic intelligence.