Data centers powered by artificial intelligence and cloud computing are pushing energy demand and manufacturing to new limits. Global electricity consumption could increase by as much as 75% by 2050, according to the US Department of Energy, with the technology industry AI ambitions causing much of the waves.
Data centers powered by AI and cloud computing could soon grow as large as yes they could use more electricity than entire cities.
As AI frontrunners push further 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 it understands its electricity needs,” said Mark Nelson, CEO of Radiant Energy Group. “Those power needs. Steady, direct, 100% power, 24 hours a day, 365,” he added.
After years of focusing on renewable energy sources, major technology companies are now turning to nuclear power for its ability to provide vast amounts of energy in a more efficient and sustainable manner.
Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Target are among the most recognizable names exploring or investing in nuclear energy projects. Driven by the energy demands of their data centers and artificial intelligence models, their announcements mark the beginning of an industry-wide trend.
“What we see is that nuclear power has a lot of advantages,” 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 run all the time. And it provides a huge economic impact.”
After nuclear power was largely written off in the past because of widespread meltdown fears and safety risks — and misinformation that dramatized those concerns — experts are hailing recent technological investments as the beginning of the “nuclear revival”.” that might speed it up energy transformation in the US and around the world.
Watch the video above to learn why Big Tech is investing in nuclear power, the opposition they face, and when their nuclear ambitions might actually become a reality.
