GoKawiilThree idled US nuclear plants restarted to power AI data centers
The Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan, the Crane Clean Energy Center at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, and the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa are being brought back online after years of shutdown, together expected to add 2.25 GW to the grid. Palisades, which had begun decommissioning, is furthest along and is projected to generate 800 MW by March 2027, while Crane's Unit 1 is expected to add 835 MW in 2027 under a 20-year supply deal with Microsoft. Each project relied on Department of Energy loans, with Palisades funded under a 2024 Biden-era program and the others under a 2025 Trump administration initiative.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The restarts suggest utilities and the federal government view reviving mothballed nuclear capacity as a faster option than building new plants to meet surging electricity demand from AI data centers. Microsoft's long-term contract with Crane indicates tech companies may increasingly seek direct deals with nuclear operators to secure reliable, low-carbon power. The reliance on DOE loans across administrations points to bipartisan government involvement in underwriting nuclear revival as an energy strategy.
- Three previously shut US nuclear reactors are being restarted, adding a combined 2.25 GW of capacity.
- Palisades in Michigan is the first reactor restarted after decommissioning had already begun.
- Microsoft has signed a 20-year deal for power from the Crane Clean Energy Center at Three Mile Island.
Source: tomshardware.com — Bruno Ferreira, 2026-10-20
Published there as: “US restarts three shut-down nuclear reactors to feed AI data centers”
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