Why Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Meta are betting on nuclear energy

Data centers powering artificial intelligence and cloud computing are pushing energy demand and production to new limits. Global electricity use could increase up to 75% by 2050, according to the US Department of Energy, 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 could use more electricity than entire cities.

As leaders in the AI ​​race push for greater technological advancements and deployments, 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 its way out of the problem unless they understand its power needs,” said Mark Nelson, CEO of Radiant Energy Group. “Those energy needs. Constant, direct, 100% energy, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” he added.

After years of focusing on renewable energy, major technology companies are now turning to nuclear energy for its ability to provide massive energy in a more efficient and sustainable way.

Google, Amazon, microsoft and Goal are among the most recognized names exploring or investing in nuclear energy projects. Driven by the power demands of its data centers and AI models, its announcements mark the beginning of an industry-wide trend.

“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 source of electricity. It’s a source of electricity that can be always on and running all the time. And it provides a tremendous economic impact.”

After nuclear power was largely dismissed in the past due to widespread fears about mergers and safety risks (and misinformation that dramatized those concerns), experts are touting recent investments in the technology as the beginning of a “nuclear renaissance”“That could speed up a energy transformation in the US and around the world.

Watch the video Above to learn why big tech companies are investing in nuclear energy, the opposition they face, and when their nuclear ambitions could become a reality.