RestartingReactor Restart
Project website →Crane Clean Energy Center (TMI-1 Restart)
📍 Middletown, PA (Dauphin County Co.)Developer: Constellation EnergyVendor / Tech: Westinghouse
Capacity
835 MW
Expected Operation
2028
Reactor Type
Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR)
Regulatory Status
Restart in progress. NRC issued Amendment No. 307 on 2026-07-01 allowing receipt of new fuel; NRC issued draft environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact 2026-06-08; FERC approved transfer of 760 MW of capacity interconnection rights from Eddystone 3 and 4 on 2026-06-01. NRC decision on restoring operating license targeted for May 2027 (Neutron Bytes).
Details
Primary Use
Power generation - data centers / AI
Grid Connection
PJM
Fuel Type
LEU
Research detail · verified 2026-10-10
Stage
Restart under way
Commercial power
Yes
NRC docket
50-289
Stated target operation
2027 (Constellation, as reported by WNN 2026-06-08; 'second half of 2027' per Constellation FERC filing reported by WNN/ANS 2026-04)
Stated construction jobs
About 3,400 direct and indirect jobs (Constellation, 2025-11-18, citing an economic impact study commissioned by the Pennsylvania Building & Construction Trades Council)
Stated operations jobs
500+ employees on staff, more than 80% staffed (Constellation, 2025-11-18); target of over 600 full-time employees (Neutron Bytes 2026-08-11)
Key dates
2019-09-26 unit permanently shut down; 2024-09 Constellation announced restart with 20-year Microsoft PPA; 2025-11-18 DOE closed $1B loan; 2026-03-31 FERC waiver request filed; 2026-06-01 FERC approved interconnection rights transfer; 2026-06-08 NRC draft EA/FONSI issued (comments to 2026-07-08); 2026-07-01 NRC Amendment No. 307 (new fuel receipt) issued
Workforce
About 90 operator candidates in accredited classroom, simulator and NRC exam pipelines (Neutron Bytes 2026-08-11). Constellation committed $1M+ in charitable giving over five years including workforce development programs; $200,000 donated in 2025 (Constellation 2025-11-18). No named college or union training partnership found.
Not verified / conflicts
The 3,400 figure is direct plus indirect jobs, not construction alone. A search summary mentioned a '750-person permanent workforce'; I could not tie it to a source page, so it is not used. Final NRC environmental decision (expected Sept 2026 per Neutron Bytes) not confirmed. Constellation Q2 2026 results page returned 403. NRC info-finder page (tmi1) was not opened; the shutdown date comes from a search-result snippet of that page.
Sources
- https://www.constellationenergy.com/news/2025/11/us-government-backs-constellations-plan-to-launch-crane-clean-energy-center-adding-835-mws-of-new-baseload-power-to-the-grid.html
- https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/ferc-waiver-clears-way-for-crane-clean-nuclear-interconnection
- https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2613/ML26135A004.pdf
- https://neutronbytes.com/2026/08/11/inside-three-mile-islands-quest-to-clear-restart-hurdles/
- https://world-nuclear-news.org/articles/constellation-seeks-regulators-help-for-2027-plant-restart
- https://tdworld.com/distributed-energy-resources/news/55331985/doe-grants-1-billion-loan-to-restart-constellations-crane-clean-energy-center-on-pennsylvanias-three-mile-island
About
Formerly TMI Unit 1. Shut 2019, restarting for Microsoft AI data centers. Grid connection may be delayed to 2031 due to PJM transmission constraints. $1.6B Constellation investment to refuel and restart; Microsoft 20-yr PPA (Sept 2024) was enabling factor. NIA Oct 2025 report.
Key Organizations
Developer
Constellation Energy
Power Purchase Agreements1 PPA
Microsoft (20-year PPA)
announcedPrivate Funding
Constellation Energy Generation, LLC
Equity
$1.6B to refuel and restart TMI-1 (Crane)
$1.6B
closed
Federal Funding
DOE
DOE Funding ·
DOE LPO $1B loan (closed Nov 2025)
—
awarded
State Policy Context
View nuclear-related legislation and energy stats for Pennsylvania