Three-Mile Island nuclear site to be reopened for the purpose of generating artificial intelligence
In 1979, a partial nuclear meltdown occurred at the site, resulting in the removal of adjacent areas and the impact on a distinct entity.
Microsoft has entered into an agreement with Constellation Energy Corporation, the proprietor of the Three-Mile Island nuclear site, to reopen the Pennsylvania facility and supply the technology company with renewable energy for its artificial intelligence operations.
In order to sustain its artificial intelligence business with carbon-free energy, Microsoft and Constellation have agreed to a 20-year agreement that will involve the restoration of the Three-Mile Island Unit 1 reactor to serve as the “Crane Clean Energy Centre.”
Constellation Energy will provide Microsoft with 835 megawatts of power and invest approximately $1.6 billion to bring the facility online as part of the agreement. The energy provider aspires to achieve this objective by 2028.
Conversely, prior to commencing operations, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), state officials, and local authorities must still sanction the agreement.
Industry leaders from tech giants such as OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google gathered at the White House on September 12 to deliberate on the future of energy infrastructure for AI.
According to Sabre56 CEO Phil Harvey, an authority in the construction and administration of data centers and mining facilities, the operational cost of an AI data center ranges from $3 million to $5 million per megawatt.
Donald Trump, the former president, recently addressed this issue, stating that the United States must enhance its energy infrastructure and produce additional energy to support Bitcoin mining operations and artificial intelligence data centers.
In 1979, a distinct reactor at the Three-Mile Island nuclear facility underwent a partial meltdown as a result of a mechanical malfunction that impeded the liquid cooling system’s ability to extract heat from the reactor’s core. Subsequently, this resulted in the complete shutdown of the reactor and the accumulation of pressure within the nuclear facility’s pipelines.
The pressure was increased, prompting the opening of a relief valve that was intended to close automatically once the pressure returned to a predetermined level. This relief valve remained open, resulting in a catastrophic loss of coolant. Ultimately, the core experienced partial melting and overheated.
The disaster prompted residents within a 5-mile radius to evacuate the area, and they were concerned that they may be susceptible to radiation contamination. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission continues to say that the accident did not result in any environmental or health hazards:
Various government agencies monitored the area and collected thousands of environmental samples, including air, water, milk, vegetation, sediment, and consumables. The catastrophe may have resulted in the emission of radionuclides at extremely low levels.
The Commission has referred to the incident as the “most severe catastrophe in the history of commercial nuclear power plant operations in the United States.”
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