Controversy growing as Three Mile Island revival talks gain traction

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — Discussions of possibly reopening the Three Mile Island nuclear generators are ramping up, with some government power players showing their excitement, while others their nervousness.

It has been 45 years since Three Mile Island became ground zero of the worst nuclear disaster in United States history in 1979. One reactor closed shortly after, and then in 2019, the other reactor was shuttered due to its inability to compete economically with natural gas.

But now, some state and national lawmakers are looking to revive the facility. Others, including activist and Democratic candidate for State House Gene Stilp, disapprove of these discussions.

“We’re going to fight this tooth and nail,” Stilp said. “I’m going to cross that line and see if and see if the state police show up. We’re trying to nip this in the bud to let people know about the reopening, because a lot of people don’t know about the reopening.”

Republican State Rep. Tom Mehaffie, whose district houses Three Mile Island, believes the plant can be beneficial, saying “We need baseload energy more than we’ve ever needed it before. We have a failing grid.”

Although Mehaffie is pro-nuclear energy, he remembers being sent home from school during that fateful meltdown in 1979. He feels that we now live in a safer time and can afford to reopen the facility.

“There’s never been an accident since then,” Mehaffie said. “There’s been a lot of things put in place, even since Fukushima and Chernobyl, that make it even safer than it’s ever been.
So I feel extremely safe here in Middletown, Pennsylvania. Being a resident, living right near it, I feel safe that if they restart it, I think it’s a great idea.”

Even if support continues to grow, Constellation Energy, the supplier that owns Three Mile Island, asserts that there are still many moving parts: “Restarting closed nuclear plants offers another opportunity for the industry to add clean, reliable energy to the grid… Though we have determined it would be technically feasible to restart the unit, there are many economic, commercial, operational, and regulatory considerations remaining.”

Mehaffie conceded on the money concerns, saying “I think there’s a lot that has to happen. Money number one, right? It’s extremely expensive.”

Restarting a plant in Michigan costs $1.5 billion in federal dollars and $300 million in state money.

“The core issue for us is when are we going to let the market decide the winners and the losers?” nuclear watchdog Eric Epstein asked. “Nuclear power is a wholly subsidized operation. What do you say to gas? What do you say to renewables? You basically put your thumb on the scale and decide a nuclear is coming back no matter what.”

Mehaffie argues those other industries have been subsidized, while nuclear industries have been demonized, saying, “I think we missed the mark on nuclear power.”

A former Three Mile Island worker, Joe Gusler, whose dad founded the plant, spoke on its economic impact on the borough of Middletown.

“I was raised on wages and benefits earned from this power plant,” Gusler said. “When this plant was open, it did a lot for Middletown. It did a lot for the Lower Dauphin School District. So, there’s a buzz starting and people are getting excited about it.”

Epstein argues that we still have yet to clean the two plants from the previous disaster: “What really riles me is we still haven’t cleaned up TMI 2. There’s 700 metric tons of waste that’s significant at TMI 1. So we’re going to restart a plant in the middle of decommissioning two plants? I don’t think it’s a great idea.”

Pennsylvania lawmakers will discuss taking it up in the fall, and many people are already voicing their opinions.

“When you take a look at what could happen to our grid and what we need and the energy producers that we need, we’d be foolish to overlook this,” Mehaffie added.

“People here have been through once before,” Stilp argued. “Fool me once? Fine. Fool me twice? Forget it.”

One argument would be if nuclear power is to be revisited, plants should be put in places that already have it. Discussions will commence in the state legislature in the fall.

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