As demand for artificial intelligence (AI) soars, major tech companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are turning to nuclear energy to fuel their operations. These tech giants have made significant investments in small modular reactors (SMRs), aiming to secure stable energy for AI workloads. Proponents claim SMRs are a safer, more efficient approach to nuclear energy, providing a promising renewable power source to meet the escalating power needs of AI-driven data centers.
In September, Microsoft announced a groundbreaking deal to buy power from the historic Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania, with plans to restart the site’s reactor by 2028. Similarly, Google has partnered with Kairos Power to receive 500 megawatts from seven SMRs by 2030, while Amazon is collaborating with X-Energy for nuclear power integration by 2039. These moves highlight tech companies’ push to offset emissions, particularly as they missed their net-zero targets for 2024.
Experts remain divided on the shift. Sasha Luccioni, a climate lead at AI developer HuggingFace, expresses concerns about the tech industry’s “move fast” mindset infiltrating nuclear energy—a field that requires careful oversight. However, Jacopo Buongiorno, director of MIT’s Center for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems, believes nuclear reactors offer ideal, continuous power for AI data centers with minimal environmental impact, viewing SMRs as an essential tool for sustainable tech advancement.
With the first operational SMR expected in North America by 2029, industry insiders anticipate nuclear energy as a growing solution to meet AI’s massive energy demands while advancing sustainable practices in the tech sector.
Source: Swifteradio.com
