“Every dollar we invest to enhance and modernize the nation’s largest nuclear fleet will pay dividends for American families and businesses by creating jobs, keeping costs down, improving reliability and adding much-needed capacity to fuel economic growth.” – Joe Dominguez, President and CEO, Constellation
Since the 1990s, nuclear reactors have supplied around 20% of annual U.S. electricity, providing critical dispatchable power that maintains grid reliability. However, expanding the nation’s nuclear fleet has faced significant constraints, including regulatory barriers, access to capital, political uncertainty, and shifting public perception.
That outlook is changing. Today, rising electricity demand, growing reliability concerns, bipartisan political support, and renewed public understanding of the value of dispatchable power have converged to create new momentum for nuclear energy.
At the center of this transformation is Constellation, the nation’s largest owner and operator of nuclear power plants. Constellation is demonstrating that nuclear energy can once again provide competitive and reliable power, essential to America’s energy future.
Leading the Nuclear Renaissance
Constellation stands at the forefront of America’s energy sector, operating the nation’s largest fleet of carbon-free nuclear power plants. With 21 reactors across 12 sites, the company plays a pivotal role in delivering reliable and affordable electricity to millions of homes and businesses. During the summer of 2025, Constellation achieved an impressive 98.8% capacity factor, underscoring their commitment to operational excellence and grid stability.
Now with the Trump Administration voicing support for a “nuclear renaissance,” Constellation is making strategic investments to extend its high performance record to enhance the U.S.’s ability to win the AI race. One of the company’s cornerstone projects is revitalizing a nuclear reactor in Dauphin County, PA.
Crane Clean Energy Center: Progress and Momentum
In 2024, Constellation announced plans to restart Three Mile Island Unit 1, which was retired for economic reasons in 2019. Renamed the Crane Clean Energy Center, the project would add approximately 835 MWs of firm, baseload power to the grid. This restart was made possible through a 20-year power purchase agreement with Microsoft. Since the announcement, Constellation has accomplished the following milestones:
- 80% Staffed: 500 full-time employees on-site and plans for a second Initial License Training class in 2026, which will allow operators to train and obtain an NRC license to operate the plant.
- Completed Inspections: Inspections of steam generators, main generator, emergency diesel generators, and underground piping have been completed or are near completion.
- Interconnection Approval: Constellation’s interconnection request to PJM received accelerated approval, which clears the path for grid integration and accelerates the restart to 2027.
The impact of Constellation’s work will provide innumerable benefits to Pennsylvania, including:
- The creation of approximately 3,400 direct and indirect jobs;
- Over $16 billion added to the Commonwealth’s GDP;
- More than $3 billion in state and federal tax revenue; and
- $1 million in charitable giving over five years to support workforce development and local organizations.
The federal government is also supportive of the Crane Clean Energy Center. Dept. of Energy Secretary Chris Wright reaffirmed the Administration’s commitment and recognized the project as a cornerstone of national energy reliability. Since that visit, DOE’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing issued a $1 billion loan commitment, demonstrating the importance of this facility.
Pennsylvania state leaders noted the benefits of the project for residents.
“When you have a company that wants to invest $2 billion in your region’s economy and employ over 600 individuals, you embrace it, and you look for a way to make sure that they’re welcome and they have the workforce they need and the project goes smoothly. We welcome it as an economic development boon here for the region,” said Harrisburg Regional Chamber and Capital Region Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Ryan Unger.
Rob Bair, President of the Pennsylvania State Building and Construction Trades Council added, “The CCEC will support thousands of family-sustaining jobs for decades to come. It will help make Pennsylvania a leader in attracting and retaining the types of reliable, clean energy jobs that will define the future.”
Meeting the Moment
With electricity demand rising for the first time in decades, the U.S. will need to rapidly scale new reliable generation capacity to serve the power needs from electrification, data centers, and advanced manufacturing. Competitive power suppliers are best positioned to respond and expand generation capacity with flexible solutions – all while taking on the investment risk, instead of passing it on to customers.
Constellation is stepping up to meet today’s challenges. In addition to the Crane Clean Energy Center, the company has provided Maryland leaders a menu of generation options to align with the state’s economic and climate goals with cost-effective generation and battery storage solutions. This responsive and flexible approach could see Constellation invest in up to 5,800 megawatts of resources.
The Bottom Line
Constellation’s leadership represents a critical turning point for nuclear power in the U.S. Through projects like the Crane Clean Energy Center, Constellation is demonstrating how a market-driven approach can responsibly expand America’s energy capacity to maintain a reliable grid and win the AI race.
Through its commitment to operational excellence, Constellation is proving that working within competitive wholesale power markets remains one of our most powerful tools for addressing today’s most pressing energy challenges.
For more updates on Crane Clean Energy Projects’ progress follow their updates on Instagram: here
