In response to increasing demand for energy in the tech sector, fuelled by artificial intelligence, cloud computing and the footprint of data centres, Microsoft, Amazon and Google also want nuclear power to achieve sustainability goals. As data centres use more and more energy, nuclear power is becoming a cleaner alternative to traditional energy use for 1-2 percent of global energy consumption.
One of the key moves comes from Microsoft, which recently signed a deal with Constellation Energy to supply 24/7 nuclear power to its Boydton, Virginia, data centre.
“Microsoft is proud to offer technology that enables other climate-conscious companies to also reduce their carbon footprint,”
said Adrian Anderson, General Manager of renewable and carbon-free energy at Microsoft. The collaboration was vital to integrating real time regional clean power matching towards energy transitions, he noted.
In a parallel effort, Amazon spent $650 million to have its Pennsylvania data centre favoured by the nearby Susquehanna nuclear plant. This follows Amazon in its broader drive to reach net zero emissions by 2040, showing that nuclear energy can help balance sustainability alongside giant data centre operations.
At the same time, Google examines the possibility of the small modular reactors (SMRs) as an energy source to power its data centres. Newer, smaller scale nuclear technology called SMRs, have been funded and built by the company through a partnership with Kairos Power. Google and Kairos said in a joint statement.
“The smaller size and modular design can reduce construction timelines, allow deployment in more places, and make the final project delivery more predictable”
Experts remain cautiously optimistic about nuclear energy’s role in the tech world. Sola Talabi, President of Pittsburgh Technical, noted that SMRs hold “great promise for the future” due to their passive cooling systems, which reduce safety concerns. However, some skeptics, like Edwin Lyman from the Union of Concerned Scientists, argue that relying on untested nuclear technology for such critical infrastructure could be risky, citing the uncertainty surrounding new reactors and the persistent issue of nuclear waste disposal.
Together, nuclear power and tech firms are developing as significant tool in efforts to create carbon neutral operations. Nuclear energy is the bet of the industry in the future of data, whether through conventional reactors or novel SMRs. But that’s not all, transitioning to nuclear comes with its trials and time will show if nuclear can truly hold up to the tech giants’ high expectations.
