Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) Forum was honored to join Senator Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) on May 18th for a visit to the Crane Clean Energy Center in Londonderry Township, Pennsylvania, a site that the Senator described as “emblematic of the rebirth of nuclear power.”
Constellation Energy, which operates the facility formerly known as Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station, is bringing its Unit 1 reactor back online—one of only a handful of previously retired U.S. nuclear facilities now moving toward restart, and a powerful symbol of America’s commitment to clean, reliable baseload power.
During the visit, CRES President Heather Reams sat down with Sen. McCormick and leaders from Constellation and Microsoft for a roundtable discussion, where participants highlighted how dramatically the global conversation on nuclear has shifted in the past 20 years. They talked about the vital role nuclear energy can play in safeguarding our energy security, and how the Crane restart is emblematic of this nuclear renaissance. As Sen. McCormick aptly put it, “energy security is national security.”
Crane’s Unit 1 first began operating in 1974, but was shut down in 2019 after facing economic pressures related to historically low natural gas prices.1 Prior to its 2019 retirement, Unit 1 was one of the strongest-performing nuclear plants in the country: in its final year of operation, it produced electricity at maximum capacity 96.3% of the time—well above the industry average.
Since announcing the restart, Constellation has hired hundreds of workers, with the facility now nearly 80% staffed, and has completed or has neared completion on major inspections of key plant components, including steam generators, the main generator, emergency diesel generators and underground piping. The company has also made significant enhancements to the training center and control room simulator.
The project was initially slated for restart in 2028, but Constellation accelerated its target to 2027 after the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland (PJM) Interconnection granted accelerated approval of its early interconnection request. During the site visit, there were several reminders of the mid-2027 restart, underscoring the historic significance and momentum behind the effort.
Once online, the facility will provide 835 MW of firm, baseload power to the grid—supporting data centers and driving economic growth across central Pennsylvania. The project is expected to create 3,400 direct and indirect jobs, generate over $16 billion in state GDP, and deliver more than $3 billion in state and federal tax revenue over 20 years.
Underpinning the restart is a 20-year power purchase agreement signed with Microsoft, to support the increasing energy needs of its expanding network of data centers in the region. While Microsoft’s data centers won’t be directly connected to Crane, the company will purchase the full output of the plant, offsetting its power consumption in PJM with clean, reliable generation.
That agreement is a major vote of confidence in nuclear energy from one of the world’s leading technology companies. As electricity demand rises—driven by data centers, advanced manufacturing and broader electrification—Microsoft’s partnership with Constellation demonstrates how large energy users can help bring reliable clean power resources back onto the grid.
Two other key enablers of the restart are the Department of Energy’s Energy Dominance Financing (EDF) program and federal clean energy tax incentives. In November 2025, EDF closed a $1 billion loan to Constellation to support the project, lowering financing costs for the company and helping expedite the momentous restart of Unit 1. Constellation also plans to leverage the technology-neutral Section 45Y Clean Electricity Production Credit, which can provide up to $15/MWh for qualifying projects. By preserving a pathway for nuclear and other eligible clean firm resources to qualify for this tax credit, the 2025 Working Families Tax Cut Act recognized the importance of reliable, emissions-free electricity to America’s energy future.
Together, these mechanisms reflect the administration’s and Congress’ commitment to expanding domestic energy production, supporting reliable baseload generation, and enabling private-sector investment in strategic energy infrastructure.
Sen. McCormick has certainly demonstrated how closely attuned he is to the importance of bolstering nuclear energy as a pillar of American energy security through several recent legislative proposals, such as the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Deployment Act (NEIDA) , which seeks to help bridge the “valley of death” between advanced nuclear demonstration and commercial deployment. He has also put forth the American Competitiveness for Exports in Nuclear Energy, or ACE Nuclear Energy Act of 2026, to strengthen America’s ability to compete for and win nuclear energy projects abroad, and recently introduced the REWIRE Act, a bipartisan bill that would modernize the electric grid by advancing reconductoring efforts, easing red tape and supporting broader deployment of grid-enhancing technologies—all in order to efficiently and affordably move electricity to demand centers.
The Crane Clean Energy Center is more than a single power plant restart. It is a case study in what it takes to meet America’s energy moment: private-sector leadership, federal policy support, state and local economic benefits, and bipartisan recognition that reliable, always-available power is essential to U.S. competitiveness.
CRES Forum is grateful to Senator McCormick for his leadership, interest and time during the visit; to Constellation for its extraordinary work bringing this facility back to life; and to Microsoft for helping demonstrate that America’s growing digital economy can be powered by clean, reliable energy made here at home.
To take a closer look at the visit to Crane with Senator McCormick, see ABC27 news coverage here: https://www.abc27.com/video/mccormick-touts-nuclear-revival-inside-three-mile-island/11803519/