Amazon has announced three new agreements to design and build Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). These nuclear reactors are significantly smaller than traditional ones, which allows them to be built faster and located closer to the consumer. Microsoft and Google also recently announced similar investments in nuclear power.
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One of Amazon’s projects involves developing four SMRs with Energy Northwest, a Washington consortium of public utilities. The initial generated capacity will be approximately 320 megawatts with a potential of up to 960 megawatts. At the same time, an agreement was concluded with X-energy, a developer of an advanced nuclear reactor design for the Energy Northwest project.
On the opposite coast of the US, Amazon is working with Virginia utility Dominion Energy to explore the possibility of building an SMR near an existing nuclear power plant. This will provide additional generation of about 300 megawatts of electricity.
Amazon says the projects will create new jobs, for example, the agreement with Energy Northwest will create 1,000 temporary jobs during construction and about 100 permanent jobs once the reactor is operational.
This summer, Amazon announced that it had achieved its goal of matching its energy consumption with renewables seven years earlier than planned. However, some Amazon employees and environmental experts accused the company of “distorting the truth.” They argue that solar and wind energy facilities are used by the entire grid, not just Amazon.