Nuclear Plant Restarts After 28 Years to Power Clean Grid

A nuclear reactor that shut down in 1999 is getting a second life, and it could change how America powers its future.

Federal regulators have given the green light to restart Three Mile Island's first reactor, now renamed the Crane Clean Energy Center. The plant in Pennsylvania will pump 835 megawatts of emissions-free electricity into the grid starting in 2027, enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved a creative solution to get Crane online faster. Constellation Energy will transfer capacity rights from an older fossil fuel plant in Philadelphia, letting the nuclear facility connect fully to the grid years ahead of schedule. Without this move, transmission upgrades would have delayed full operations until after 2030.

Meanwhile, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission released its draft environmental review, finding that restarting operations will have no significant environmental impact. The public can comment on these findings through early July before the NRC makes its final decision.

This isn't the reactor that made headlines in 1979. Three Mile Island had two separate units, and only unit 2 experienced the famous partial meltdown. Unit 1 operated safely for decades before closing in 2019 for economic reasons. Its operating license runs through 2034, and Constellation plans to seek an extension to 2054.

The restart makes economic and environmental sense. The reactor was already built and tested for safety. Bringing it back online adds clean baseload power without constructing new infrastructure or burning fossil fuels.

The Ripple Effect

Crane's restart signals a turning point in how America views nuclear energy. For years, the focus was on shutting down reactors. Now utilities are recognizing that existing nuclear plants offer reliable, carbon-free power that renewable sources can't always match.

The project also shows regulators finding flexible solutions to grid challenges. By transferring capacity rights from aging fossil fuel plants to clean energy sources, FERC is helping accelerate the transition without compromising reliability.

Other states are watching closely. If Crane succeeds, more shuttered reactors across the country could get second chances. America has several closed nuclear plants that could potentially restart, adding gigawatts of clean energy to help meet climate goals.

The restart will also bring jobs back to the region and provide stable, round-the-clock power that complements wind and solar energy. Unlike fossil fuel plants, nuclear reactors produce zero greenhouse gas emissions during operation.

Sometimes the best path forward means looking back at what already works.