Constellation Seeks FERC Help to Restart Crane Nuclear Plant in 2027

Constellation Energy plans to file a request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to transfer capacity injection rights from its Eddystone plant to the Crane Clean Energy Center. The move aims to preserve the company's 2027 nuclear restart target despite obstacles flagged by regional transmission operator PJM. Joseph Dominguez, Constellation's chief executive, announced the filing during the company's 2026 Business and Earnings Outlook call.

A Reactor Shut Down Since 1999

The Crane site houses a pressurized water reactor (PWR) that was shut down in 1999. In 2024, Constellation announced plans to restart it after signing a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Microsoft. The decision reflects a broader nuclear revival in the United States, where New Hampshire is also assessing the deployment of advanced nuclear reactors through an executive order. Constellation had separately filed an interconnection request with PJM to allow the Crane site to add 835 megawatts (MW) of emissions-free power to the grid.

Initially targeting 2028, the company moved its restart date forward to 2027 after PJM approved an early interconnection request. At the CERA Week conference in Houston, David Dardis, Constellation's chief external affairs and growth officer, told Reuters that PJM had indicated some required transmission upgrades would not be completed until 2031. "I want to assure you we are working on that with PJM and we continue to expect to start this unit in 2027," Dominguez said, adding that the FERC filing was designed to "facilitate restart in '27, according to our plan."

Eddystone Plant Kept Online by Emergency Orders

Eddystone is a six-unit, dual-fuelled plant located in Pennsylvania. It includes two 380 MW units — Eddystone 3 and 4 — fitted with subcritical steam boiler-turbine generators that run on either natural gas or oil depending on market conditions. Two pairs of oil-fuelled peaking units cover periods of high demand, with a combined capacity of 60 MW. Eddystone 3 and 4 had been scheduled for closure last year but were kept online beyond their planned retirement date to ensure grid reliability.

The extension was secured through a series of emergency orders issued by Chris Wright, the US Energy Secretary. The most recent order, issued in February, remains in force until May 24. The Crane Clean Energy Center restart project is also receiving federal support through the US Department of Energy's (DOE) loan programme. South Korea recently cleared the restart of the Kori 2 nuclear reactor, reflecting a broader international trend toward reviving existing nuclear assets.