Presented by TerraPower — The Pennsylvania plant is the site of a 1979 partial nuclear meltdown{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment   The Big Story  Microsoft strikes deal to reopen Three Mile Island nuclear plant Nuclear energy operator Constellation Energy will reopen the Three Mile Island facility in Pennsylvania, the site of a 1979 partial nuclear meltdown, as part of a deal with Microsoft to power data centers.© GettyIn the announcement Friday, Constellation said Microsoft has agreed to buy 20 years’ worth of power from the operator beginning in 2028.  The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission must review and approve the decision before the plant reactor can be restarted. The agreement involves the plant’s second reactor, which was unaffected by the 1979 accident and continued to operate for decades after.  The 1979 partial meltdown was the worst in the history of U.S. commercial nuclear generation, and although it did not cause any deaths, it exacerbated public concerns around the safety of nuclear power, along with the much costlier and deadlier Chernobyl disaster in the Soviet Union seven years later. The plant was retired due to declining revenues in 2019.  “Powering industries critical to our nation’s global economic and technological competitiveness, including data centers, requires an abundance of energy that is carbon-free and reliable every hour of every day, and nuclear plants are the only energy sources that can consistently deliver on that promise,” Constellation CEO Joe Dominguez said in a statement. “Before it was prematurely shuttered due to poor economics, this plant was among the safest and most reliable nuclear plants on the grid, and we look forward to bringing it back with a new name and a renewed mission to serve as an economic engine for Pennsylvania,” he added. Read more at TheHill.com.  Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, we’re Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.  Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:  Biden administration announces $3B for battery projectsThe Biden administration on Friday announced that it has selected 25 battery technology projects to receive $3 billion in federal funding.   Full Story  8 Democrats vote to ax Biden’s EV ruleEight Democrats voted with House Republicans in favor of overturning a Biden administration rule that’s expected to force automakers to make a significant portion of their fleet electric.  Full Story  Greenhouse gas emissions drop across California, due to clean fuel shifts: RegulatorsCalifornia’s greenhouse gas emissions have plunged in recent years across most sectors, falling about 2.4 percent in 2022 in comparison to the previous year, state regulators reported on Friday.  Full Story   In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Brazil drought punishes coffee farms and threatens to push prices even higher CACONDE, Brazil (AP) — Silvio Almeida’s coffee plantation sits at an ideal altitude on a Brazilian hillside, whose clay-rich soil does well at retaining moisture from rainfall and a nearby reservoir. Full Story   What We're Reading News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics:The National Guard Knows Its Armories Have Dangerous Lead Contamination, Putting Kids and Soldiers At Risk (The Intercept)  Prehistoric Earth Was Very Hot. That Offers Clues About Future Earth. (The New York Times)TVA plans 9th gas plant since 2020 (WPLN)  On Tap  Upcoming news themes and events we're watching:Next week: Climate Week NYC takes placeThe House could vote on a major forestry bill Thursday: The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a hearing on public health impacts of PFAS exposure   The House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on Puerto Rico's electric grid   What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now: 5 takeaways from the latest flurry of Harris-Trump polls A plethora of polling has emerged in the past couple of days, giving fresh insights into the race for the White House. Read more Nate Silver finds Harris with edge on Trump for first time since Aug. 28 Vice President Harris has taken the lead in pollster Nate Silver’s election forecast and model for the first time since Aug. 28. Read more  Opinions in The Hill  Op-ed related to energy & environment submitted to The Hill: Why is Kamala Harris keeping voters in the dark on her energy agenda?   Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Energy and Environment newsletter Subscribe