Microsoft has made a 20-year deal which may reopen Three Mile Island, a nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. The tech giant signed with the plant’s owner, Constellation Energy, to power its data centers in the future, mainly for artificial intelligence (AI) programs.
Constellation Energy CEO Joe Dominguez is underplaying the risk of any problems at the plant, calling it “among the safest and most reliable nuclear plants on the grid.” In reality, Three Mile Island is the “site of the worst nuclear disaster in U.S. history.” In 1979, one of the two reactors malfunctioned. While significant health consequences have not been recorded, the accident left a profound scar on the community. After the near catastrophe, the people of Three Mile Island realized that they could not rely on the reassurances of companies that they would not be exposed to the danger of deadly radioactive contamination.
With its potential reopening in 2028, residents will once again be forced live with the risk posed by the nuclear plant while Microsoft reaps the profits. From studying severe nuclear accidents, such as the Chernobyl accident in 1986, scientists know the consequences of a power plant disaster range from radiation sickness to death for residents, workers, and even cleanup crews.
Why should communities face the risks while companies get the benefits? We must fight the companies and their decisions that endanger our health and safety. Microsoft will not be the last company to implement risky projects, so we must be organized and ready to stand up against these corporations.
