Why Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Meta bet on nuclear energy

Data centers powering artificial intelligence and cloud computing are pushing energy demand and production to new limits. The global use of electricity could increase by up to 75% by 2050, according to the US Department of Energy, along with the technology industry. AI ambitions driving much of the increase.

The data centers that power AI and cloud computing could soon grow so large that They can use more electricity than entire cities.

As the leaders of the AI ​​race push for further technological advancements and implementations, many find their energy needs increasingly at odds with their sustainability goals.

“A new data center that needs the same amount of electricity as, say, Chicago, can’t just build their way out of the problem unless they understand their energy needs,” said Mark Nelson, managing director of Radiant Energy Group. “These power needs. Steady, straight through, 100% power, 24 hours a day, 365,” he added.

After years of focusing on renewables, major 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 recognizable names exploring or investing in nuclear power projects. Driven by the energy demands of its data centers and AI models, its announcements mark the beginning of a trend in the industry.

“What we’re seeing is that nuclear power has a lot of benefits,” said Michael Terrell, senior director of energy and climate at Google. “It’s a carbon-free electricity source. It’s an electricity source that can always be on and work all the time. And it provides a tremendous economic impact.”

After nuclear power was largely written off in the past because of widespread fears about meltdowns and safety risks—and the misinformation that dramatized those concerns—experts have promised recent investments in the technology as the beginning of a “nuclear renaissance“that could accelerate a energy transformation in the United States and around the world.

Watch the video above to find out why Big Tech is investing in nuclear power, the opposition they face and when their nuclear ambitions could become a reality.