Google Explores Nuclear Power for AI Data Centers: Balancing Energy Demands with Climate Goals

Big Tech Explores Nuclear Power for AI - What About Safety and Cost?

However, a CSIRO report found that nuclear power is more expensive than electricity generated with renewables. Big Tech is looking to utilize nuclear power to meet the growing energy demands of AI development while maintaining lofty climate change goals. As the rapid growth of AI continues to drive major energy consumption, mainly by electricity needed to power data centers, leading tech companies are beginning to look for sustainable ways to up the power. Google CEO Sundar Pichai stated that the search engine giant was looking to utilize nuclear energy to power its expanding network of AI data centers. Talking in an interview with Nikkei Asia , the CEO said Google was looking into small modular nuclear reactors to help meet its climate goals. The climate goals of Google and other Big Tech companies are extremely ambitious. Google is hoping to achieve net-zero emissions across its operations by 2030. This is mirrored by Microsoft which has pledged to be carbon negative by 2030. Amazon has also pledged to reach carbon neutral by 2040, with a promise of using 100% renewable energy by 2025. However, some critics believe Big Tech's climate goals are unachievable. In 2023, Google's total greenhouse gas emissions were 48% more than in 2019, fuelled by their investments in power-hungry GenAI. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt recently called for an end to lofty climate goals, claiming AI would outpace any measures Big Tech puts in place. The Economics of Nuclear Nuclear energy is emerging as an attractive solution for Big Tech because it offers a low-carbon, high-output power source capable of meeting the needs of AI infrastructure on a large scale. Unlike fossil fuels, which are responsible for a substantial share of global greenhouse gas emissions, nuclear power generates electricity without releasing carbon dioxide during operation. A May 2024 report from Australia's CSIRO reported that nuclear power from large-scale reactors and small modular reactors are extensively more expensive than electricity generated with renewables. Large-scale nuclear is estimated between $141 and $233/MWH, while small modular reactors are estimated between $230 and $382/MWH, according to the report. However, electricity from solar and wind would cost just $73 and $128 per megawatt hour. How Safe is Nuclear? The International Atomic Energy Agency, an intergovernmental organization that focuses on the use of energy, claims nuclear plants are among "the safest and most secure facilities in the world". Nuclear plants are subject to rigorous safety testing and are forced to meet international safety standards. Despite this, there have been high-profile accidents which led to the release of large amounts of radioactive material into the environment. In 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine suffered the worst nuclear accident in history, resulting in a massive release of radiation across Europe. More recently, in 2011, a tsunami flooded the Fukushima nuclear plant and caused a meltdown of three reactor cores. Although fatalities from the radiation exposure were minimal, the accident caused widespread environmental damage. The fear of disasters makes nuclear energy a contentious issue - however, it is worth noting that Chernobyl and Fukushima were caused by either flawed designs or natural disasters. Newer nuclear technologies aim to mitigate these risks with improved safety features.

Google goes nuclear to supercharge AI data centers

Google's growing focus on sustainable energy may soon incorporate nuclear power as a key resource for fueling its AI data centers, as hinted by CEO Sundar Pichai in a recent interview. The tech giant is actively exploring energy options that can support the immense demands of its operations while aligning with its ambitious environmental objectives. By 2030, Google has set a bold target to achieve net-zero emissions across all aspects of its global operations. "A core focus of our goal to operate on 24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE) by 2030 is to accelerate the decarbonization of electricity grids around the world. Today's grids are a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, and electricity demand is expected to grow significantly in the decades ahead." -Google Pichai acknowledged the scope of the challenge, especially as AI's rapid expansion has significantly increased the company's energy consumption. "It was a very ambitious target, and we are still going to be working very ambitiously towards it," Pichai stated in his conversation with Nikkei Asia, underscoring that AI's growth has made the goal even more challenging. Nevertheless, Google is not shying away from exploring advanced energy solutions, including small modular nuclear reactors, alongside continued investments in solar energy. While Pichai did not provide specific timelines or locations where nuclear energy would be introduced into Google's energy grid, he made it clear that the company is seriously evaluating a range of cutting-edge technologies to support its sustainability efforts. Google's interest in nuclear energy is not new; the company has long explored innovative clean energy alternatives. A blog post and accompanying white paper from September 2023 reaffirmed its commitment to investing significantly in technologies such as geothermal energy and hydrogen power, which also hold promise in reducing carbon footprints. Google's push towards nuclear energy is part of a broader trend among tech industry leaders. Rivals Amazon and Microsoft have already made moves to secure nuclear-generated electricity for their operations. Amazon, for instance, signed a $650 million agreement in March to purchase power from Pennsylvania's Susquehanna nuclear plant, according to a report from The Financial Times. Similarly, in September, Microsoft entered into a 20-year contract to buy energy from the Three Mile Island plant, owned by Constellation Energy. This facility, which was decommissioned in 2019, is set to be reactivated by 2028. As these tech giants ramp up their energy needs for data centers and AI development, nuclear energy is becoming an increasingly attractive option due to its ability to provide reliable, carbon-free power at scale. With industry leaders like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft setting the pace, nuclear power may soon become a cornerstone of the tech world's shift toward sustainable energy sources, transforming how these companies manage their environmental impact while sustaining the vast power requirements of their demanding infrastructures.

Google CEO eyeing electricity from nuclear plants for its data centers

Google CEO Sundar Pichai is considering using electricity from nuclear plants to power his company's data centers, as the tech giant contends with the expansive energy demands of artificial intelligence (AI). Pichai also plans to increase Google's investment in solar and thermal power, he said in an interview with Nikkei. "We are now looking at additional investments, be it solar, and evaluating technologies like small modular nuclear reactors, etc," Pichai told the outlet while in Tokyo. AI requires vast amounts of energy. A single ChatGPT inquiry requires nearly 10 times the amount of electricity as a typical Google search, and generating images uses more than 60 times as much energy as generating text. To feed this energy-hungry technology, some tech companies are turning to nuclear power. Microsoft announced last month that it struck a deal to reopen Three Mile Island, the site of a partial nuclear meltdown in 1979, to power its data centers. The drive for new energy sources also comes as Big Tech seeks to balance its energy needs with its previous commitments to cut emissions. Google, which aims to become net-zero by the end of the decade, revealed in July that its greenhouse gas emissions rose 13 percent in 2023 and were up 48 percent since 2019. It pointed to AI, noting in its annual environmental report that reducing emissions might be a challenge "due to increasing energy demands from the greater intensity of AI compute." "It was a very ambitious target and we are still going to be working very ambitiously towards it," Pichai told Nikkei. "Obviously, the trajectory of AI investments has added to the scale of the task needed."

Google Talks to Utilities About Nuclear Power for Data Centers

Google is working with utilities in the US and other countries to assess nuclear power as a possible energy source for its data centers, underscoring surging interest in using atomic energy to feed the artificial intelligence boom. "In the US, in highly regulated markets where we don't have the opportunity to directly purchase power, we are working with our utility partners and the generators to come together to figure out how we can bring these new technologies -- nuclear may be one of them -- to the grid," said Amanda Peterson Corio, global head of data center energy at Alphabet Inc.'s Google.