Will Nuclear Energy Power AI Data Centers? Timeline of Developments, Proponents and Safety Discussions

Note: Here are earlier updates.

Nuclear Power for AI Data Centers: July 2024 Updates

Multiple updates...

• M&A - Nuclear Waste Management: Perma-Fix Environmental Services has acquired the Environmental Waste Operations Center (EWOC) near Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
• Australia Nuclear Debate: A plan by Australia's federal opposition that would slow the roll-out of renewable power and build a network of nuclear reactors has set the scene for a divisive confrontation on climate policy ahead of an election expected in 2024, Reuters reported.
• Italy - Nuclear Energy Policy: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government is planning to reintroduce nuclear energy 35 years after Italy shut down its last atomic plant, in a bid to lower the country’s carbon emissions, News.Az reports citing the Financial Times.
• United States - Virginia Nuclear Power: Dominion Energy Virginia has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to determine the feasibility of small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear technology. Proponents believe SMR technology can deliver nuclear power in a cost-effective, carbon-free way -- though critics continue to worry about the long-term storage and disposal of nuclear waste.

Nuclear Power for AI Data Centers: June 2024 Updates

Multiple updates...

• China vs. United States - Nuclear Power: The U.S. may be 15 years behind China on developing high-tech nuclear power, Reuters reported, as Beijing's state-backed technology approach and extensive financing give it the edge, according to the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute.
• United States - Nuclear Energy Power Plants: The United States could revive some of its recently retired nuclear power plants to help meet rising demand for zero-emissions electricity, or add reactors to existing sites, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told Reuters.
• AI Data Centers Require U.S. Nuclear Power: Surging electricity demand for artificial intelligence and data centers means next-generation nuclear power “can’t fail,” according to a top U.S. Energy Department official, Bloomberg reported.
• South Korea Energy Strategy: South Korea should target major additions of renewables and nuclear power by the late 2030s to curb emissions and meet surging demand from data centers to semiconductor manufacturing, according to a government proposal, as reported by Bloomberg.

Nuclear Power for AI Data Centers: May 2024 Updates

Multiple updates...

• Japan Nuclear Energy Policy: Japan had big plans for nuclear power before the 2011 tsunami, Bloomberg reported. Now a debate over restarting Japan's biggest nuclear facility will test if it can turn away from costly imported fuels, the report said.
• Nuclear Power Expansion?: Constellation Energy Corp., the biggest nuclear power operator in the United States, is exploring the possibility of constructing new nuclear capacity at its existing reactor sites to meet the growing demand from data center customers, Carbon Credits reported.

Nuclear Power for AI Data Centers: April 2024 Updates

Multiple updates...

• United States Nuclear Power Reactors: A month after the U.S. offered $1.5 billion to restart one shuttered nuclear power plant, there’s a growing sense among officials in the industry and government that it may not be the last, Bloomberg reported.
• Partnership: Terrestrial Energy and Schneider Electric have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly develop technologies for nuclear-powered data centers and industrial facilities. The nuclear technology involves small, modular, repeatable designs.
• OpenAI Founder Funds Energy Startup: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Andreessen Horowitz General Partner Katherine Boyle, and multiple venture capital firms are funding Exowatt, a renewable energy startup that wants to offer cost-effective power for generative AI applications and data centers.
• M&A - Consulting: Private equity firm Bernhard Capital Partners has acquired Strategic Management Solutions, LLC (SMSI), a provider of expert management and technical consulting services for federal and large industrial clients focused on nuclear programs and projects, the buyer said. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Bernhard Capital previously acquired Boston Government Services (BGS) and Sterling Engineering & Consulting Group (SE&C) as part of a push to build a Department of Energy services platform.
• Europe - Nuclear Under Pressure: Surging renewables and a slump in power prices are undermining operations of nuclear power plants -- which are still the cornerstone of electricity grids in several parts of the continent, Bloomberg reported.
• Japan Energy Policy: Japan will need new nuclear power plants to meet its 2050 net zero goal, according to nation’s main electricity utilities, Bloomberg reported.

More: Continue to next page for earlier updates involving nuclear power for AI data centers.