Nuclear Power: The New Fuel for AI’s Energy Hunger in Big Tech
Major technology companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Meta are increasingly forming alliances with nuclear energy providers to cater to the colossal power needs of artificial intelligence systems.
Microsoft has pledged to revive Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island nuclear plant through a 20-year agreement with Constellation Energy. In a similar vein, Google has inked deals for 500 megawatts of power from small modular reactors. Meta recently unveiled a 20-year nuclear partnership with Constellation Energy’s Illinois plant, augmenting output by 30 megawatts.
These partnerships signify a strategic pivot as AI data centers demand unprecedented amounts of electricity. It is estimated that data center power demand could skyrocket to 400 terawatt-hours by 2030 in the US alone.
The nuclear alternative offers a reliable, carbon-free baseload power that intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar cannot rival. However, critics caution that the hasty shift to nuclear power mirrors the tech industry’s “move fast and break things” approach, now being applied to nuclear energy. This is a sector that necessitates careful supervision and long-term planning.