Data centers powering artificial intelligence and cloud computing are pushing energy demand and production to new limits. Global electricity use could rise by as much as 75% by 2050, according to the US Department of Energy, with the technology industry’s AI ambitions driving most of the increase.
Data centers powering artificial intelligence and cloud computing could soon grow so large that they can use more electricity than entire cities.
As the leaders of the AI race seek to achieve and deploy further technological advances, many are finding that their energy needs are increasingly at odds with their sustainability goals.
“A new data center that needs the same amount of electricity as Chicago can’t build its way out of the problem unless they understand their energy needs,” said Mark Nelson, managing director of Radiant Energy Group. He added: “This energy requires 100% constant and direct energy, 24 hours a day, 365 hours.”
After years of focusing on renewable energy sources, big technology companies are now turning to nuclear power for its ability to provide massive energy in a more efficient and sustainable way.
Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta are among the most well-known names exploring or investing in nuclear energy projects. Judging by the power requirements of their data centers and AI models, their announcements represent the beginning of an industry-wide trend.
“What we’re seeing is that nuclear energy has a lot of benefits,” said Michael Terrill, senior director of energy and climate at Google. “It’s a carbon-neutral source of electricity. It’s an electricity source that can always be on, all the time. And it provides a huge economic impact.”
After nuclear power was largely dismissed in the past due to widespread concerns about nuclear meltdowns and safety risks — and misinformation that helped dramatize those fears — experts are touting recent technology investments as the beginning of a “nuclear renaissance” that could accelerate the energy transition. In the United States. And all over the world.
Watch the video Above to learn why big tech companies are investing in nuclear power, the opposition they face, and when their nuclear ambitions could become a reality.
