Tech Giants Embrace Nuclear Power for Sustainable Data Centers: A Look at Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft's Plans
Group negotiating two-decade long nuclear energy agreement via Facebook platform
Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Email, Print, Copy Link, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has locked in a 20-year deal for nuclear power to fuel its data centers. This energy will be provided by a nuclear power plant located in the US state of Illinois, as confirmed by the plant's operator, Constellation Energy.
In a bid to support its growing investments in artificial intelligence, Meta will now benefit from the entire energy output of the 1,121-megawatt power plant, extending its operation beyond the expiration of subsidies that had initially planned for its shutdown in 2017.
Other tech powerhouses are also hopping on the nuclear bandwagon. Constellation Energy is going to revive a reactor at the decommissioned US nuclear power plant Three Mile Island for Microsoft in the near future. The software giant has agreed to purchase the plant's energy output for the next two decades. Google aims to start buying energy from innovative small reactors developed by Kairos Power from 2030 onwards. Amazon is no exception, offering significant investments in such technologies.
Notable Player Strategies
- Google:
- Google has inked a deal with Kairos Power for the purchase of 500 megawatts of electricity.
- Additionally, they've signed an agreement with Elementl Power to develop three project sites for advanced reactors[2].
- Amazon:
- Amazon spearheaded a $500 million investment in X-energy and intends to leverage 5 gigawatts of nuclear power for its data centers.
- Amazon Data Services has become a member of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), deepening its commitment to nuclear energy[2].
- Microsoft:
- Microsoft collaborates with Constellation Energy on the Crane Clean Energy Center, where Three Mile Island Unit 1 is being revived to support Microsoft's data centers with nuclear energy[2].
This shift towards nuclear power by tech giants is part of a broader global initiative involving major banks and financial institutions seeking to boost nuclear capacity. The growing involvement of Big Tech in nuclear energy underscores a transition towards more eco-friendly and dependable power sources for data centers.
[2] Source: ntv.de, dpa
The Commission, with its expertise in various sectors such as industry, finance, energy, and technology, has also been consulted on the draft directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, given the increased interest in nuclear energy by tech giants like Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft.
The intrusion of tech behemoths in the nuclear energy sector is not purely a domestic endeavor; it is a part of a global movement involving major financial institutions, aiming to increment the nuclear capacity worldwide and transition towards more eco-friendly and dependable power sources for data centers.
