You know that AI and cryptocurrency technologies demand massive amounts of electricity. According to Michał Rogucki, writing in YTech News, nuclear power is a “rising star in data center power solutions.” He writes:
Amidst the increasing energy demands of data centers, particularly those handling AI workloads, companies are turning to nuclear power as a sustainable and reliable energy source. NE Edge aims to establish AI data centers adjacent to a nuclear power plant in Connecticut, and major cloud providers like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft are also considering nuclear options for their future power needs.
With the surge in energy requirements fueled by advanced AI workloads, nuclear power is emerging as a go-to solution for data centers seeking cost efficiency and sustainability. Companies like NE Edge are pioneering this trend by planning massive AI data centers near the Millstone nuclear power plant in Waterford, Connecticut. Despite some local opposition over potential rises in electricity costs, NE Energy has affirmed its commitment to negotiate favorable energy prices and make substantial financial contributions to the locale.
The firm has secured substantial funding to construct the data centers and procure tens of thousands of servers, hinting at massive computing capabilities. They plan to utilize a significant portion of the plant’s output, reassured by nuclear energy’s uninterrupted availability, barring well-known exceptions. As they work through regulatory processes, NE Edge joins other industry giants in the nuclear-powered data center arena.
Amazon Web Services has already struck a deal to latch onto Cumulus Data’s nuclear data centers in Pennsylvania. The agreement includes an option to purchase a substantial amount of power capacity from the nearby nuclear power plant, reflecting the scale of AWS’s envisioned data center development. Meanwhile, Microsoft explores futuristic small modular reactors (SMRs) as a method to directly power data centers, although the technology is still under development.
As the tech sector grapples with its energy consumption and environmental impact, the utilization of nuclear power could offer an energy-intensive yet greener path forward for the data center industry.
Action Line: If AI technology lives up to the hype it has been given, it will have broad-reaching effects on industries far from Silicon Valley. Click here to subscribe to my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter.
E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy
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