The plans come as the owner of the shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear power plant said last month it plans to restart the reactor so tech giant Microsoft can buy the power to supply its data centers. All three companies have been investing in solar and wind technologies, which make electricity without producing greenhouse gas emissions. Now they say they need to go further in the search for clean electricity to meet both demand and their own commitments to cut emissions.
Nuclear energy is a climate solution in that its reactors don’t emit the planet-warming greenhouse gases that come from power plants that burn fossil fuels, such as oil, coal and gas. The demand for power is surging globally as buildings and vehicles electrify. People used more electricity than ever last year, placing strain on electric grids around the world. Much of the demand also comes from data centers and artificial intelligence.
The International Energy Agency forecasts that data centers’ total electricity consumption could reach more than 1,000 terawatt hours in 2026, more than doubling from 2022. Estimates suggest one terawatt hour can power 70,000 homes for a year.
“AI is driving a significant increase in the amount of data centers and power that are required on the grid,” Kevin Miller, Amazon Web Services’ vice president of global data centers, told The Associated Press, adding: “We view advanced new nuclear capacity as really key and essential.”
This story is from the October 19, 2024 edition of Techlife News.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 19, 2024 edition of Techlife News.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
ELON MUSK'S X PARTNERS WITH VISA ON PAYMENT SERVICE IN AN EFFORT TO BECOME AN 'EVERYTHING APP'
X is teaming up with Visa to soon offer a system for real-time payments on the social media platform — signaling some progress in a yearslong vision from billionaire owner Elon Musk to create an “everything app.”
BIG TECH WANTS TO PLUG DATA CENTERS RIGHT INTO POWER PLANTS. UTILITIES SAY IT'S NOT FAIR
Looking for a quick fix for their fast-growing electricity diets, tech giants are increasingly looking to strike deals with power plant owners to plug in directly, avoiding a potentially longer and more expensive process of hooking into a fraying electric grid that serves everyone else.
ARE WE ALL ALIENS? NASA'S RETURNED ASTEROID SAMPLES HOLD THE INGREDIENTS OF LIFE FROM A WATERY WORLD
Asteroid samples fetched by NASA hold not only the pristine building blocks for life but also the salty remains of an ancient water world, scientists reported this week.
AS SMALL BUSINESSES FACE FIRE DEVASTATION AND TRY TO GET BACK ON THEIR FEET, A VARIETY OF AID EXISTS
The fires in California have been devastating for many small business owners and others who saw their homes, businesses or livelihoods go up in smoke.
AI-ASSISTED WORKS CAN GET COPYRIGHT WITH ENOUGH HUMAN CREATIVITY, SAYS US COPYRIGHT OFFICE
Artists can copyright works they made with the help of artificial intelligence, according to a new report by the U.S. Copyright Office that could help clear the way for the use of AI tools in Hollywood, the music industry and other creative fields.
TESLA 04 RESULTS FALL SHORT OF FORECASTS. MUSK SEES UNSUPERVISED FULL SELF-DRIVING IN TEXAS IN JUNE
Tesla's fourth-quarter adjusted profits rose slightly amid a big push to sell its electric vehicles with offers of zero financing and other incentives, but the results still fell short of Wall Street forecasts.
TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER ON DEVELOPING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 'FREE FROM IDEOLOGICAL BIAS'
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on artificial intelligence that will revoke past government policies his order says \"act as barriers to American AI innovation.\"
AMAZON SUES STATE AGENCY TO BLOCK RELEASE OF COMPANY RECORDS TO BEZOS-OWNED WASHINGTON POST
Amazon is suing a Washington state agency to prevent the release of some company materials to The Washington Post, the newspaper which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
WHAT IS DEEPSEEK, THE CHINESE AI COMPANY UPENDING THE STOCK MARKET?
A frenzy over an artificial intelligence chatbot made by Chinese tech startup DeepSeek was upending stock markets Monday and fueling debates over the economic and geopolitical competition between the U.S. and China in developing Al technology.
TRUMP SAYS MICROSOFT IS ONE OF THE COMPANIES EYEING TIKTOK
President Donald Trump said this week that Microsoft is among the U.S. companies looking to take control of TikTok to help the popular app avert an effective ban that could kick-in in April.
