Everyone needs a community they feel happy in. What makes people happy? Good jobs, clean air, access to good hospitals or schools, consistent energy, and many other things that come with those. And if Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce choose to have their wedding in your community then I guess that’s just the cherry on top, but we don’t really have control over that one. Nuclear energy, however, can impact the rest of those things that can make a great community.
So, what are some of these communities that are working with nuclear energy?
Covert, MI and Palisades (Southwest Michigan)
After a brief transition to decommissioning, Covert, MI and the state made it known that they want the plant to stay operational. So, Palisades, which is owned by Holtec, has recently returned to operational status after three years of hard work and planning. While it isn’t producing electricity yet, it has cleared a major milestone and can receive new fuel to power the reactors once final inspections are completed. The plant is poised to produce more than 800 megawatts, which is enough electricity for over 800,000 homes and businesses. That means that if you’re in southwest Michigan, then your local coffee shop, your neighbor’s house, your doctor's office, and so many other places are more likely to have reliable access to clean energy.
Londonderry Township and Crane Clean Energy Center (Pennsylvania)
Crane Clean Energy Center (formerly known as Three Mile Island) is poised to restart as well! As energy demands are surging because of things like data centers, we need more nuclear plants to prevent electricity prices rising or even recurring blackouts. The amount of clean and reliable energy that nuclear can produce is huge for communities like Londonderry Township. In this case, it’s more than 825 megawatts of clean energy getting hooked up to the grid.
It's not just the electricity that Crane Clean Energy Center, owned by Constellation, is bringing to the community—it’s the 3,400 jobs and the $3.6 billion in state and federal tax revenue, too. In television shows you often think of a good neighbor as someone who lends you butter or sugar, but Constellation is sharing an additional $1 million in philanthropic dollars with the region over the next five years to support other community services.
Oak Ridge, Hermes, Project Ike, and more! (Tennessee)
One of the most famous nuclear communities in the world, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is back in the news making some great things happen. Google, Kairos Power, and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) are partnering to deliver energy to data centers in Tennessee and Alabama. As data centers consume more and more energy, agreements like these will be crucial to not only ensure that the energy being used is clean, but to prevent the grid from being strained in the communities that they serve. Of course, every source of energy has an entire supply chain behind it, and Oak Ridge is leveraging their history in scientific research at Oak Ridge National Lab to bring additional nuclear energy jobs and benefits to the community:
- Project Ike, Orano’s state-of-the-art centrifuge uranium enrichment facility planned to provide a domestic supply of nuclear fuel, ensuring more jobs and national security.
- TRISO-X, a subsidiary of X-energy, constructing their fuel fabrication facility, TX-1, and anticipating regulatory approval by May 2026, delivering energy security to customers lining up for Xe-100 reactor facilities.
- Companies, too numerous to count, providing innovative services in engineering and manufacturing through the full lifecycle of nuclear energy—even nuclear medicine!
As we see with examples like these, nuclear energy provides unique opportunities to communities. Welcoming nuclear energy to your community not only brings clean energy and good jobs, but it makes sure the lights stay on at home. American-made nuclear energy—available 24/7/365 for community services, homes, and businesses today and in the future—is something we can all celebrate.
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