Technology companies are signing electricity contracts today for data centers coming online in 2028. That puts nuclear projects on the clock, say analysts and industry executives.
“Let’s write the obituary for nuclear in a year if you can’t actually build projects right now,” Landon Derentz, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center, said last week in Houston.
Google, Microsoft, Meta and other giants of the artificial intelligence boom say nuclear power can meet their needs for stable, 24-7 power. It also has a carbon-free footprint. The tech industry has invested more than $8 billion across at least 12 advanced nuclear companies since 2018, according to S&P Global.
Still, even if tech companies are ready to bite, timing remains an inescapable challenge. Data center planning and construction are outpacing any reasonable timeline for deploying new nuclear technology.
