In Sept. 2024, the computer software company Microsoft made an agreement with the site owner of Three Mile Island to buy the entire power plant over the course of 20 years. But what is Three Mile Island known for?

Three Mile Island was an established nuclear power plant located in Pennsylvania, which contained two main reactors that led to the global development of nuclear power. However, in 1979, the Unit 2 nuclear reactor malfunctioned, causing it to melt down during usage and release radioactive gasses into the environment. Afterward, residents of Pennsylvania began to report signs of radiation exposure to local hospitals, and the Three Mile Island power plant was considered officially contaminated.

Although Unit 2 of Three Mile Island was permanently closed, Unit 1 continued to function as an electricity-generating facility until 2019. Due to Three Mile Island’s impact on nuclear science throughout US history, Microsoft’s agreement to purchase the Unit 1 reactor has caused some controversy.

Announcing the new partnership, Unit 1 was rebranded as the Crane Clean Energy Center, which hopes to restore jobs and decrease carbon emissions with the company Constellation Energy, Unit 1’s former owner. Microsoft also plans to use the reactor to power AI data centers. After this purchase, they will have 100% ownership over Three Mile Island’s generated electricity.