PJM Interconnection announced that the former Three Mile Island nuclear plant, now branded the Crane Clean Energy Center, will not be able to connect to the regional grid until 2031, a four‑year delay beyond Constellation Energy’s 2027 in‑service target.
The delay follows a grid‑interconnection study that identified significant technical and regulatory hurdles. PJM cited a backlog of interconnection requests and the need for transmission upgrades that are not expected to be completed until 2031, and the operator’s shift to a first‑ready, first‑served process further extends the timeline.
The postponement directly impacts Constellation’s ability to deliver power to Microsoft under a 20‑year power purchase agreement. While Constellation maintains that the unit will be ready to generate electricity by 2027, the company is in discussions with transmission owners to accelerate the timeline and mitigate the impact on the Microsoft contract.
David Dardis, Constellation’s head of commercialization, said PJM indicated that some required upgrades will not finish until 2031 and that the company is negotiating with owners to reduce the delay. CEO Joe Dominguez emphasized the project’s importance for clean energy supply to data centers and highlighted the company’s confidence in restoring 835 MW of carbon‑free power to the grid.
Constituion’s shares fell between 2.6% and 3% on March 26 as investors weighed the delayed revenue stream and potential renegotiation of the Microsoft agreement. Analysts noted that the grid backlog and transmission constraints represent a headwind for the company’s clean‑energy expansion strategy.
The Crane project is a key component of Constellation’s plan to meet growing data‑center demand. The U.S. Department of Energy’s $1 billion loan guarantee supports the restart, and the project aligns with industry trends of technology firms securing long‑term clean‑energy contracts. However, PJM’s interconnection inefficiencies underscore the broader challenge of modernizing grid infrastructure to accommodate new generation assets.
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