Crane Clean Energy Center revival recognized as a landmark achievement in advancing America’s nuclear energy future
Constellation has been honored with the prestigious “Energy Deal of the Year” award at the 2025 Platts Global Energy Awards, recognizing a landmark 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Microsoft that enabled the launch of the Crane Clean Energy Center and the planned restart of Unit 1 in Londonderry, Pennsylvania. The agreement and subsequent plant restart represent one of the most significant milestones for the U.S. nuclear energy sector in recent years, underscoring renewed commercial confidence in nuclear power as a cornerstone of a reliable, clean energy future—particularly for powering the rapidly expanding data economy.
The award highlights how Constellation’s long-term partnership with Microsoft has transformed what was once a retired nuclear asset into a critical source of emissions-free electricity. With an output of 835 megawatts (MW), the Crane Clean Energy Center will provide round-the-clock, carbon-free power that supports both regional grid stability and Microsoft’s growing data center operations within the PJM Interconnection. The deal is widely viewed as a blueprint for how major technology companies and energy providers can collaborate to meet surging electricity demand while advancing climate and sustainability goals.
“This award reflects the extraordinary dedication and expertise of our team, whose tireless work made the Crane restart possible,” said Dan Eggers, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Constellation. “The project is expected to create more than 3,000 jobs, contribute over $16 billion to Pennsylvania’s GDP, and generate more than $3 billion in community-supporting tax revenue over its operating life. It demonstrates the transformative power of collaboration with partners like Microsoft and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro to deliver clean, reliable energy back to the grid at a critical moment.”
The restart of Crane’s Unit 1 marks a rare and historic event in the U.S. energy landscape. Once a top-performing nuclear facility prior to its retirement in 2019, the plant is now set to re-enter service amid a dramatically different power market environment—one defined by electrification, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and unprecedented electricity demand growth. Few nuclear plants in the United States have been brought back online after retirement, making Crane’s revival a powerful signal of nuclear energy’s evolving role in the modern grid.
Through the 20-year PPA, Microsoft will utilize Crane’s emissions-free power to help match the electricity consumption of its PJM-based data centers, while also contributing firm capacity and resilience to the regional grid. Unlike intermittent renewable sources, nuclear power provides consistent baseload electricity, an attribute that is increasingly valued as utilities and grid operators grapple with reliability challenges, extreme weather events, and rising peak loads.
The Crane Clean Energy Center is expected to deliver substantial environmental benefits alongside its economic impact. By displacing fossil-fuel generation, the plant will prevent millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions over its lifetime, helping both Constellation and Microsoft progress toward their long-term decarbonization commitments. The restart also preserves high-skilled nuclear jobs and sustains a domestic workforce critical to maintaining U.S. leadership in advanced energy technologies.
The Platts Global Energy Awards, announced on December 11 in New York City, are hosted annually by S&P Global Energy (formerly S&P Global Commodity Insights). Now in their 27th year, the awards are widely regarded as the most prestigious recognition in the global energy industry. They celebrate organizations and individuals who demonstrate visionary leadership, breakthrough innovation, and measurable progress toward a more sustainable and resilient energy system.
Each year, the awards recognize excellence across 21 categories, spanning power generation, energy transition, infrastructure development, technology deployment, and corporate leadership. Winners are selected by an independent judging panel of international energy experts, whose backgrounds include regulation, policymaking, corporate management, trading, finance, and strategic consulting. This rigorous evaluation process ensures that award recipients reflect not only commercial success, but also long-term value creation and positive societal impact.
“The shifting landscape within the energy industry has brought forward numerous business-impacting challenges,” said Allison Sacco, Executive Producer at S&P Global Energy. “The Platts Global Energy Awards are proud to spotlight companies and individuals who are not only navigating these challenges successfully, but also leading the way with pioneering vision, innovation, and exemplary performance in support of a more sustainable energy future.”
For Constellation, the recognition reinforces its position as the largest producer of clean, carbon-free electricity in the United States and a key driver of nuclear energy’s resurgence. The Crane restart exemplifies how market-based solutions, long-term contracting, and public-private collaboration can unlock value from existing nuclear assets while meeting the needs of modern energy consumers.
As electricity demand continues to rise—driven by digitalization, electrified transportation, and advanced manufacturing—the Crane Clean Energy Center stands as a compelling case study in balancing reliability, affordability, and sustainability. The Platts Global Energy Award not only celebrates a single deal, but also signals a broader shift in how nuclear power is being re-evaluated as an essential component of the clean energy transition.
