The global demand for electricity is surging at an unprecedented pace, with projections indicating an increase of over 10,000 terawatt-hours by 2035-equivalent to the total consumption of all advanced economies today. A significant factor driving this escalation is the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), which relies heavily on data centers. A medium-sized data center consumes as much energy as 100,000 households. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the demand from data centers surged by more than 75% between 2023 and 2024 and is anticipated to represent over 20% of electricity-demand growth in advanced economies by 2030.
In the United States, home to many leading AI companies, the energy required for AI-driven data processing is projected to overshadow the combined electricity consumption of the aluminum, steel, cement, and chemical industries by the decade’s end. This explosive demand for power has led global leaders in technology and energy to explore solutions. In December, stakeholders from the nuclear industry convened at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna to discuss the dual potential of nuclear energy to support AI expansion while fostering innovation within the nuclear sector.
Training state-of-the-art AI models requires substantial continuous processing power, often necessitating thousands of central processing units (CPUs) to run for weeks or months. As AI applications expand across various sectors-from healthcare and public administration to agriculture and logistics-each interaction consumes energy. “We need clean, stable zero-carbon electricity that is available around the clock,” emphasized Manuel Greisinger, a senior manager at Google specializing in AI. He asserted that achieving this energy demand solely through wind and solar power is unrealistic. Greisinger further stated, “Nuclear energy is not only an option but an indispensable component of the future energy structure.”
This perspective is echoed by IAEA Director General Manuel Grossi, who considers the nuclear sector an essential partner in the AI revolution, highlighting its ability to meet the critical needs of low-carbon power generation, reliability, power density, grid stability, and scalability. The nuclear industry is currently experiencing significant growth, with 71 new reactors under construction worldwide, joining the 441 operational reactors. The United States plans to build ten additional reactors, adding to its existing 94.
Tech giants leveraging these data centers are also making commitments to boost nuclear power capacity significantly by 2050, with Microsoft recently signing a long-term power purchase agreement to restart Unit One of the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania. Globally, countries like France and the UK are ramping up nuclear construction, while Poland is stepping into the arena. Russia remains a leader in nuclear energy exports and advanced reactor technology, while China makes strides in both AI and nuclear energy.
Moreover, the push for more energy is fostering the development of small modular reactors, which promise to offer safer, more flexible energy solutions without the long lead times typical of traditional power plants. Grossi noted that these reactors are designed for industrial applications, including data centers, diminishing concerns regarding grid capacity and transmission losses. Google is even pioneering a partnership to procure nuclear energy from multiple modular reactors, aiming for operations by 2030.
In a forward-thinking move, Google is exploring space-based solar technology to harness unfiltered solar energy for machine learning in orbit, with prototypes set for launch in early 2027. Each initiative, whether it’s reviving old reactors, promoting small modular ones, or expanding large reactors, points towards a burgeoning energy system largely grounded in nuclear power-crucial for meeting the demands of future civilizations.
Original Source: https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2026/01/1166768
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Publish Date: 2026-01-17 17:30:00
