Big tech firms bet on nuclear energy: Google, Amazon, Microsoft among others focus on its revival

Big tech firms like Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta are among the most popular companies exploring opportunities or investing in nuclear power projects as data centre requirements push global energy demand and production to new limits, reported the news portal CNBC on Saturday, December 28.

The global electricity usage is likely to rise as much as 75 per cent by 2050, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, cited the news portal highlighting the tech industry's artificial intelligence ambitions. 

Data centres powering AI and cloud computing can soon grow so much that they will be using more electricity than entire cities, as per the news report.

“A new data center that needs the same amount of electricity as say, Chicago, cannot just build its way out of the problem unless they understand their power needs,” Mark Nelson, managing director of Radiant Energy Group told the news portal.

“Those power needs. Steady, straight through, 100% power, 24 hours a day, 365,” he said. 

After years of focusing on renewable energy, the big tech firms are now at the revival of nuclear power for its ability to cater to massive energy requirements in a more efficient and sustainable manner.

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

The news report also highlighted how nuclear energy was earlier disregarded due to the concerns over meltdowns and safety risks. Misinformation about nuclear energy also contributed to dramatized those concerns. 

As nuclear energy is making a comeback in the United States, tech giant Microsoft struck an agreement with Constellation Energy to restart a reactor at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, the same site where most nuclear meltdowns were noted in 1979, according to the news portal's earlier report.

Google in mid-October said that the tech giant would purchase power from Kairis Power which develops small modular reactors, according to the news report.