Nuclear Energy Fires Up
After years of nuclear power being out of favor, a number of nations have begun to build new cities, much of it due to the necessity of electricity for AI server farms.
Semafor states, “Europe in general has seen a nuclear revival: A dozen EU members signed a letter backing the technology, the Netherlands and Belgium reversed decisions to shut down reactors, and Denmark may lift a 40-year nuclear moratorium.”
The US has also accelerated its programs. Part of this is restarting old reactors. Microsoft is in a venture to restart Three Mile Island, the site of a reactor accident in 1977.
Small Reactors
The greatest hope for accelerating in the US is what are known as small nuclear reactors. While still untested, they take a shorter time to build than larger reactors and put out less power. The International Atomic Energy Agency defines them as “Many of the benefits of SMRs are inherently linked to the nature of their design – small and modular. Given their smaller footprint, SMRs can be sited on locations not suitable for larger nuclear power plants.”
These components can be built in one location and assembled in another.
Estimates are that 50% of energy generation in the US will be electricity for AI server farms. Powering these is not easy even with fossil fuels, solar, and wind. This is among the reasons nuclear power needs to be moved back online.
Aging Grid
The additional challenge is the age and capacity of the grid. Some of it is decades old.
One solution is to build small grids that serve only AI server farms.
Regardless of the path, electricity will be needed at an unimaginable level just two years ago.
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