Three Mile Island restart could mark a turning point for nuclear energy as Big Tech influence on power industry grows

The Three Mile Island nuclear power plant will restart in 2028 , subject to monitoring and approval by the NRC .

Unit 1 is one of a dozen reactors that closed in the U.S. over the past decade .

Microsoft has made the restart possible through an agreement to purchase the full electricity output from the plant.

Microsoft says the agreement is part of its strategy of meeting the growing electricity needs of its data centers with power that is free of carbon dioxide emissions.

Unit 2 reactor at Three Mile Island in 1979 had a chilling effect on the development of new nuclear plants in the U.S. Unit 2 has not operated since the accident and is being decommissioned by its current owner.

Unit 1 will bring back 835 megawatts of carbon-free electricity, equivalent to the consumption of more than 600,000 homes.

Regulators are worried that tech companies' pursuit of deals that redirect power from the electric grid directly to their data centers could exacerbate supply shortages.

Constellation is currently prohibited from operating and loading fuel into the reactor vessel.

The company plans to file an exemption request to remove these restrictions if approved by the NRC .

The restarts at Three Mile Island and Palisades will likely secure NRC approval, analyst says.