The Blubber

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is investing over $500 million in nuclear energy, announcing three projects spanning from Virginia to Washington state. As a subsidiary of Amazon, AWS has a growing demand for clean energy, particularly as it expands its services into generative AI. This initiative is also part of Amazon’s broader goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions.

AWS revealed it has signed an agreement with Dominion Energy, Virginia’s utility company, to explore the development of a small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) near Dominion’s North Anna nuclear power station. Nuclear reactors, including SMRs, produce no carbon emissions, making them a key component of clean energy strategies.

SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors that have a smaller footprint, allowing them to be built closer to the electrical grid. Their faster construction times compared to traditional reactors mean they can come online more quickly to meet energy demands.

Amazon is the latest tech giant to turn to nuclear power to meet the rising energy needs of its data centers. For example, a new AWS data center in Stone Ridge, Virginia, requires an enormous amount of electricity, driven largely by the surge in artificial intelligence applications. Dominion Energy has been asked to supply enough power to match the output of several nuclear reactors.

Other major tech companies have also made moves toward nuclear energy. Google recently announced its decision to purchase power from SMR developer Kairos Power, while Constellation Energy is in the process of restarting the Three Mile Island nuclear facility to power Microsoft’s data centers. This shift highlights the growing role of nuclear energy in supporting the massive and increasing energy needs of the tech industry