Nuclear Energy and AI: How hyperscale tech companies are shaping the power landscape

Recently, I came across several articles discussing the growing demand from hyperscale tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Meta for reliable, low-carbon, 24/7 electricity to power their data centers, where they are developing AI capabilities in a race to win the so-called “AI war.” Nuclear power is currently the only carbon-free technology capable of delivering stable, 24/7 energy output on a large scale, making it particularly appealing to tech companies. One of the most insightful articles is from the Financial Times, which explores how the resurgence of nuclear energy in the US is driven by the demands of these high-tech giants. According to the FT, the nuclear power industry—which has been stagnating in the US and Europe for decades due to public opposition stemming from major nuclear incidents (Three Mile Island in 1979, Chernobyl in 1986, and Fukushima in 2011)—is now poised for a potential revival. Just last month, Microsoft announced plans to revive the decommissioned Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania, while Amazon paid $650 million in March to place a data center next to the Susquehanna Steam Electric nuclear plant, also in Pennsylvania. These tech companies are willing to pay a premium for their energy consumption, which… continue reading