AI
Boosting AI makes big techs see nuclear energy with different eyes
The popularization and advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) are requiring big tech to focus more on data centers and, to a certain extent, on nuclear energy. This is because there is a growing need to reduce emissions, and this energy source is considered an important option in this regard.
#newsonleo #technology #ai #energy
In the US, power demand for data centers is projected to triple by 2030, reaching 80 Gigawatts. Companies like Oracle, Google, Amazon and Microsoft are investing in nuclear energy, particularly small modular reactors (SMRs).
Oracle, Google and Amazon, for example, are betting on SMRs to power their data centers. Microsoft's highlight is an agreement with Constellation Energy to reopen the Three Mile Island plant in the US state of Pennsylvania. This plant was made famous by the worst nuclear accident in US history, which occurred in 1979. But Constellation Energy says most of its components are ready to work again and that the plant is in extraordinary condition.
Nuclear energy already provides 20% of electricity in the US, and its capacity is expected to triple by 2050. With government support, this energy source is being seen as crucial to achieving net-zero emissions goals in the country. States that previously restricted reactor construction, such as Wisconsin and West Virginia, are lifting moratoriums, allowing new development.
As a result, the coffers of nuclear technology and uranium mining companies end up getting fuller. Rising demand for uranium has driven prices close to a 15-year high, benefiting companies like Cameco and NexGen. NuScale Power, which makes SMRs, is also on the rise, with strong growth expectations.