AI-enabled data centers and cloud computing are pushing energy demand and production to new limits. According to the US Department of Energy, global electricity consumption could increase by as much as 75% by 2050. AI ambitions drives most of the growth.
Artificial intelligence and cloud computing-enabled data centers may 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 implementation, many are finding that their energy needs are increasingly at odds with sustainability goals.
“A new data center that needs the same amount of electricity as, say, Chicago simply can't solve the problem unless it understands its power needs,” said Mark Nelson, managing director of Radiant Energy Group. “Such a demand for energy. Constant, direct power, 100% power, 24 hours a day, 365 days a week,” he added.
After years of focusing on renewable energy sources, major technology companies are now turning to nuclear power for its ability to deliver massive energy in a more efficient and sustainable way.
Google, Amazon, Microsoft AND Meta are among the most recognizable names exploring or investing in nuclear energy projects. Driven by the energy demands of their data centers and artificial intelligence models, their announcements mark the beginning of an industry-wide trend.
“We see that nuclear energy has many benefits,” said Michael Terrell, senior director of energy and climate at Google. “It is a zero-emission source of electricity. It is an energy source that can be always on and running all the time. It also has a huge economic impact.”
After nuclear power was largely written off in the past due to widespread concerns about nuclear power and safety risks – as well as disinformation that dramatized those fears – experts are touting recent technology investments as the beginning of the “nuclear renaissance”.” which could speed things up Energy transformation in the US and around the world.
Watch the video above to find out why Big Tech is investing in nuclear power, what opposition it faces, and when its nuclear ambitions might actually become a reality.