Three Mile Island: Nuclear name change and social media strategies show power of AI energy push

Big tech wants more electricity but grassroots activists are sceptical

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Bobby Hollis of Microsoft Corp, and Joe Dominguez, Constellation Energy CEO at the former Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, Reuters

With a new social media account, a name change and an appearance from a former Miss America, Constellation Energy recently held a rally to bolster support for a nuclear renaissance near the site of one of the biggest atomic accidents in US history.

“When I say 'nuclear', you say 'energy',” Grace Stanke, the 2023 Miss America winner-turned-nuclear energy engineer and advocate, shouted to the crowd at the site of the Three Mile Island Unit 1 reactor in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro also took part in the rally with 400 in attendance, many of them Constellation Energy employees.

“This restart will safely take advantage of existing infrastructure while creating thousands of energy jobs and strengthening Pennsylvania’s legacy as a national energy leader,” the Democratic Governor said.

Initially named Three Mile Island Unit 1, (TMI1), the reactor, which is shut down, now goes by the name Crane Clean Energy Centre.

This name change followed last year's announcement by Constellation Energy and Microsoft of a two-decade power purchase agreement, under which the plant will resume operations to fill a potential energy grid gap created by power-hungry AI data centres.

That announcement raised eyebrows in part because Three Mile Island played a large role in creating a stigma around nuclear energy that has lingered in the US for many years.

In 1979, the core of the plant's Unit 2 reactor was partially exposed, leading to a temporary evacuation of the nearby area and a lengthy clean-up.

Debate and studies continue into the potential health effects stemming from the accident. A recent Netflix documentary also reignited interest and controversy about Three Mile Island (TMI).

Constellation touched on the 1979 accident in its announcement of the Microsoft deal with Microsoft, attempting to make clear the damaged reactor was not going to be part of the new project.

“The Unit 1 reactor is located adjacent to TMI Unit 2, which shut down in 1979 and is in the process of being decommissioned by its owner, Energy Solutions,” the Constellation said. “TMI Unit 1 is a fully independent facility, and its long-term operation was not impacted by the Unit 2 accident.”

Yet despite the recent rally held by Constellation, and even amid several polls showing nuclear energy receiving more support in recent years, not everybody is on board with the project.

Eric Epstein, director of Three Mile Island Alert, said his group opposes efforts to restore and restart TMI Unit 1. Photo: TMI Alert

“The name change is not about remembering, it’s about forgetting,” said Eric Epstein, director of Three Mile Island Alert, a grass roots safe energy organisation founded in 1977, two years before the Unit 2 accident.

Mr Epstein, who unsuccessfully filed a petition with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to oppose the name change, has not backed down from his critiques of Constellation's partnership with Microsoft, and for that matter, the much touted nuclear renaissance driven by AI energy demands.

“The name change is intended to honour Chris Crane, the former CEO of Exelon, who presided over a massive nuclear corruption scheme resulting in a $200 million fine,” he said.

The name change is an “attempt to establish a fictional narrative divorced from past misdeeds,” he told The National.

The Three Mile Island nuclear accident in Middletown, Pennsylvania in 1979 prompted US president Jimmy Carter to visit with hopes of reassuring the public that the plant was safely shut down. Photo: US National Archives

As well as Mr Epstein's concerns about nuclear waste storage, the lingering clean-up at Unit 2 and fears about potential over-running costs that might burden taxpayers, he has alleged that Pennsylvanians will not be benefiting from the electricity generated once Crane Energy Centre goes online.

“The partnership between data centres and nuclear power plants has the potential to meet the needs of data centres, but does nothing to address the energy needs of businesses, consumers and farmers,” he recently told the Pennsylvania public utility commission.

Yet in terms of nationwide public sentiment, Mr Epstein might be fighting an uphill battle.

According to Pew Research polling last month, about 59 per cent of US citizens now support nuclear energy as a way to meet the country's energy demands.

Other US technology companies have joined in the push for nuclear energy to plug the electricity gap potentially posed by AI technology.

Meta, parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, recently teamed up with Constellation for a 20-year power purchase agreement to revive a nuclear plant in Illinois.

“Nuclear energy from the project will be used to support Meta’s operations in the region,” Meta said. “We’re building AI technologies that are transforming the global economy and the way people connect … our data centres enable these innovations.”

As for the Crane Energy Centre in Pennsylvania, Constellation says the plant, originally set to reopen in 2028, is ahead of schedule with some of its regulatory processes, and may be online as early as 2027.

Meanwhile, some still warn the AI tech bubble could burst, meaning many of these deals could be risky. For now, however, the AI investments, data centres and overall infrastructure in need of energy show no sign of slowing down.