Nuclear power gains new momentum from AI demand

AI is changing the outlook for nuclear engineering after decades of slowed development tied to construction costs, regulation and public concern after major accidents. Igor Jovanovic of UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory says AI is helping discover advanced radiation-resistant materials, optimize fission reactor designs and predictive maintenance, and enable real-time plasma control in fusion systems.

The energy needs behind AI are intensifying pressure on the US power system. The US has 4,423 data centers, more than the next ten countries combined. Over 4 percent of all the energy in the US now goes toward data centers, and that number is expected to rise to 12 percent by 2028. Between now and 2030, data centers are expected to account for nearly half of electricity demand growth in the US.

Federal agencies and major technology companies are turning to nuclear power as a stable, low-carbon source for energy-intensive computing. The Department of Energy has promoted a nuclear renaissance through its “Manhattan Project 2.0” initiative, while Microsoft signed a 20-year agreement for Three Mile Island output, Google contracted power from seven planned Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), and Amazon invested $500 million in X-energy reactors.