Data centers powering artificial intelligence and cloud computing are pushing energy demand and production to new limits. Global electricity use could rise as much as 75% by 2050, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, with the tech industry’s AI ambitions driving much of the surge.
Data centers powering AI and cloud computing could soon grow so large that they could use more electricity than entire cities.
As leaders in the AI race push for further technological advancements and deployment, many are finding their energy needs increasingly at odds with their sustainability goals.
“A new data center that needs the same amount of electricity as say, Chicago, cannot just build its way out of the problem unless they understand their power needs,” said Mark Nelson, managing director of Radiant Energy Group. “Those power needs. Steady, straight through, 100% power, 24 hours a day, 365,” he added.
After years of focusing on renewables, major tech companies are now turning to nuclear power for its ability to provide massive energy in a more efficient and sustainable fashion.
Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta are among the most recognizable names exploring or investing in nuclear power projects. Driven by the energy demands of their data centers and AI models, their announcements mark the beginning of an industrywide trend.
“What we’re seeing is nuclear power has a lot of benefits,” said Michael Terrell, senior director of energy and climate at Google. “It’s a carbon-free source of electricity. It’s a source of electricity that can be always on and run all the time. And it provides tremendous economic impact.”
After nuclear was largely written off in the past due to widespread fears about meltdowns and safety risks — and misinformation that dramatized those concerns — experts are touting tech’s recent investments as the start of a “nuclear revival” that could accelerate an energy transformation in the U.S. and around the world.
Watch the video above to learn why Big Tech is investing in nuclear power, the opposition they face and when their nuclear ambitions could actually become a reality.
