AI Data Centers Go Nuclear
Microsoft’s AI needs so much power it’s restarting the site of the worst U.S. nuclear accident.
By
September 29, 2024
Due to the insane appetite for artificial intelligence, Goldman Sachs Research estimates that data center power demand will grow by 160% by 2030.
The municipal electricity grid is the primary power source for most data centers, but our current electricity demands are already threatening it.
As a result, critical players in the AI landscape have openly been seeking alternative power sources, including nuclear fusion, to ensure their advances in the category aren’t stopped due to a lack of enough power:
- Microsoft has agreed to purchase the energy for two decades from Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island nuclear plant
- Amazon has agreed to spend $650MM to acquire a data center connected to a 40-year-old nuclear power plant
It seems tech companies were the glowing endorsement needed to restart America’s nuclear power ambitions.
