U.S. nuclear power is getting a big boost from Big Tech as the use of energy-intensive AI expands.
Amazon announced Wednesday that it is investing $500 million to develop nuclear technology to power its data centers. The announcement comes just two days after Google revealed its own nuclear power project.
In a blog post on Monday, Google said: “We are adding new power to the power grid to support AI technologies that drive great advances in science, better serve businesses and customers, and promote national competitiveness and economic growth.” We need a source.”
Last month, Microsoft announced plans to work with Constellation Energy to power its data centers in partnership with the Three Mile Island power plant, the site of the worst nuclear disaster in U.S. history in the late 1970s.
Generative AI models, like those used by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Microsoft’s Copilot, are used in data centers to process and analyze large datasets, complete complex tasks, and train AI systems. , which requires huge computational power from cloud computing.
For both Amazon and Google, the energy project will involve a new nuclear technology known as small modular reactors. These advanced structures have a smaller physical footprint and are designed to be built faster than traditional nuclear reactors.
The companies also noted their mission to reduce carbon emissions, a key driver of climate change. “One of the quickest ways to combat climate change is to transition our society to carbon-free energy sources,” Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman said in a blog post. Nuclear power is carbon-free and scalable.” .
Amazon announced in Washington state that it will work with Energy Northwest, a state utility consortium, to develop four nuclear reactors that are expected to be able to power the equivalent of more than 770,000 U.S. homes. It also has a partnership with Dominion Energy in Virginia, where nearly half of the nation’s data centers are located, according to CNBC.
Google said it has signed an agreement to buy nuclear energy from several small modular nuclear reactors being developed by Kairos Power, with the first reactor expected to be operational by 2030 and others by 2035. He said he plans to do so. Amazon also said it is considering a time frame of the early 2030s. .
