Meta latest tech company to embrace nuclear

Investing.com — Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META) on Wednesday said it will issue a “request for proposals” to identify nuclear energy developers capable of delivering 1-4 gigawatts of new nuclear generation capacity in the U.S by 2030, to power the energy-intensive operations of its data centers, behind its artificial intelligence (AI) tech ambitions.

The demand for electricity in the U.S. has surged with the expansion of AI and cloud computing driven by the needs of Big Tech.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has recently said it was planning to the restart of a nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island as part of its energy strategy, also to power its AI servers.

Nuclear energy, which is nearly carbon-free and widely regarded as more reliable than renewable sources like solar and wind, is gaining traction among technology companies striving to meet their climate goals while ensuring uninterrupted power supply.

“We are looking to identify developers that can help accelerate the availability of new nuclear generators and create sufficient scale to achieve material cost reductions by deploying multiple units, both to provide for Meta’s future energy needs and to advance broader industry decarbonization,” Meta added.