Costs and reliability concerns related to the burgeoning trend of building energy-intensive data centers next to U.S. power plants were the focus of a technical conference held on Friday by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. As the technology industry races to deploy data centers for technologies like generative artificial intelligence, quickly accessing the massive amounts...
Technology giants developing big artificial intelligence data centers in Texas will need to pay more for electricity infrastructure upgrades to prevent those costs from burdening households and other businesses, according to the state grid operator’s chief. Affordable power is “at the core” of the conversation that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the grid operator,...
Google said Monday that it will purchase power from small modular reactor developer Kairos Power, as tech companies increasingly turn to nuclear power as a way to fulfill the growing energy demands from data centers. The tech giant said it will purchase power from a fleet of SMRs made by Kairos Power. Google said purchasing from multiple SMRs...
Google announced a deal on Monday to purchase energy from small nuclear reactors that the startup Kairos Power plans to start bringing online in the U.S. by 2030. Why it matters: It’s Google’s first nuclear foray as the tech giant — and its peers — hunt for zero-carbon power to fuel energy-thirsty AI data centers. Read...
"The companies will initially focus on proving out the demand aggregation and procurement model through advanced technology pilot projects in the United States. The companies will pilot a project delivery framework focused on three enabling levers for early commercial projects: signing offtake agreements for technologies that are still early on the cost curve, bringing a clear customer voice to policymakers and other stakeholders on broader long-term ecosystem improvements, and developing new enabling tariff structures in partnership with energy providers and utilities."
Recognizing the need for reliable power to meet demand and clean energy to meet carbon reduction goals, companies are turning to nuclear power.
"San Jose, California-based Anthro’s differentiator is that its electrolyte is a drop-in technology that wouldn’t require battery manufacturers to make any changes to their process, according to Mackanic. Despite these advantages, the startup’s current electrolyte production costs are about twice that of producing conventional liquid electrolytes, due in part to the cost of its materials. He expects to be able to get that down to a 10% to 20% premium at commercial scale."
"In December 2023, notably, the company secured a construction permit from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to build the non-power demonstration reactor in Tennessee. The approval marks the NRC’s first green light for the construction of a non-water-cooled reactor in more than 50 years. Kairos, however, must first secure a separate NRC operating license before it can begin operating the Hermes demonstration to comply with the regulatory body’s two-step, 10 CFR Part 50 licensing process."
LanzaJet will make 10 million gallons of sustainable jet fuel annually.
"Fusion energy is the process that powers the sun and other stars, and experts have been trying for decades to master it on Earth. It is achieved when two atoms that usually repel are forced to fuse together. It’s the opposite of nuclear fission — the type widely used today — which relies on splitting atoms."
