In search of clean energy for their data centers, tech giants such as Amazon and Microsoft have signed large contracts with nuclear power plants, and Google is exploring the use of mini-reactors, TheVerge reports.
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Large technology companies (Big Tech) are increasingly turning to nuclear power to power their energy-intensive data centers, especially those powered by artificial intelligence (AI). This year, in particular, Amazon and Microsoft have struck major deals with nuclear power plants in the US, and in addition to this, Microsoft and Google have expressed interest in promising next-generation small modular reactors.
New data centers require huge amounts of electricity, increasing carbon emissions and pushing companies further away from their climate reduction goals. However, nuclear reactors can be a solution to two problems at once: access to stable energy and reduction of emissions. Mark Morey, senior advisor for electricity analysis at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration, says, “Certainly, the outlook for this industry looks brighter today than it did five and 10 years ago.”
As TheVerge writes, most of the aging nuclear reactors in the United States were commissioned in the 1970s and 1980s. However, the industry has faced opposition following high-profile accidents such as Three Mile Island and the Fukushima disaster in Japan. In addition, nuclear power plants are expensive to build and generally less flexible than gas plants, which now make up the largest share of the U.S. electricity mix.
Today, Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant provides stable baseload power, making it an attractive power source for data centers running around the clock. Mori explains: “When people are sleeping, offices are closed and we’re not using as much electricity, nuclear power fits very well with data centers that need electricity 24/7.”
Microsoft recently entered into an agreement to purchase power from the shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear plant, which is scheduled to be revived by 2028. “This agreement is an important step toward decarbonizing the power grid and achieving our carbon reduction goals,” Bobby Hollis, Microsoft vice president of energy, said in a press release.
Amazon has also made a move into nuclear energy, purchasing a campus of data centers in March that will get its electricity from the nearby Susquehanna Nuclear Station in Pennsylvania. The $650 million deal gave Amazon access to power from the sixth-largest nuclear plant in the United States. Google, in turn, is considering using nuclear energy for its data centers as part of its sustainability strategy. At the same time, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that the company is also actively exploring the potential of small modular reactors.
Despite the increased interest in nuclear energy, the industry faces a number of challenges. New reactor projects and plans to restart old nuclear plants remain under strict government regulation and face rising costs and delays. And Amazon’s plans in Pennsylvania have already been opposed by critics who fear it could lead to higher electricity prices for other consumers. Questions also remain about the impact of uranium mining on the surrounding area and where to store radioactive waste.