Microsoft goes nuclear to power AI data centers: Expert

Nuclear energy has been a hot topic in investors' minds after Microsoft (MSFT) and Constellation Energy (CEG) announced an agreement to restore a dormant nuclear power plant to power the tech company’s AI and cloud data centers. Radiant Energy Group founder and managing director Mark Nelson joins Josh Lipton and Julie Hyman to explain how nuclear energy could power the artificial intelligence era. Microsoft wants to restore the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Londonderry Township, Pennsylvania, known for one of the largest nuclear disasters in the US when one of the plant's two reactors melted down in 1979. A nuclear engineer himself, Nelson explains that the plant’s other reactor “kept going for 40 years. The only reason it closed in 2019 is because fossil fuels were really cheap.” He says there’s a renewed interest in nuclear energy today because “we're running out of other energy sources… we're running out of power, and we're realizing that if we're going to have everybody buy electric vehicles, we have to be able to charge it from power plants that run all the time.” Nuclear power plants could help meet the energy-intensive needs of training and running AI, which has brought the utilities sector into focus. Nelson says building new nuclear plants and restoring existing ones could help. “The very best American design for a nuclear plant is being built in China over and over again for about four years or so per reactor and about $3 billion. I don't think we're going to meet China's prices for building our reactors, but we could probably do a lot better building our reactors if we do it in series with the same design, the same plant layout, and we do it over and over," the expert tells Yahoo Finance. “Fortunately, we've got designs that are licensed and ready to go today at existing nuclear plants that already serve tens of millions of customers. Aand those are the plants that are being approached by the data centers. So I think to get over this hump, we have to accept that we've got outstanding equipment ready to install. We've just forgotten how to do it and we need to do it the same way every time.” For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Market Domination.
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[bbasmdc]

Wow - Nelson not only knows his stuff but he really understands how to answer questions in soundbite form. For the sake of our environment we need to get going rolling out both large scale and SMR nuclear ASAP.

[rajahua]

We need more of this guy! The future is in particles.

[TF-q]

Nuclear is the direction of the power industry

[ForbiddTV]

Allow AI, data centers and cryptocurrency mining electricity only after actual needs of society are met.

[terrie]

Of course. Nuclear. Buy uranium etf. Way to go.

[jaym]

How vulnerable are nuclear plants from mizzles & rouge drones?

[Goldomnivore]

Kyle Hill (on YouTuber) has some very good information about Three Mile Island if anyone's wants to learn more about it

[DanH-uf]

Ai data centers should go underwater and be powered by tidal and wind power.

[realjoecast]

nuclear is cheaper and cleaner than wind and solar. there are nuclear technologies that have nearly no waste and no radio active waste with no danger of melt down. the word nuclear sparks fears of the past.

getting personal solar or wind is not the worst idea but on scale where things like hydro is not available nuclear is the way to go.

[LawrenceLeverton]

You do a cost analysis. Does a permit /license exist and what's the cost. The Key factor is does a permit/ license exist? If It doesn't its 10-15 years if you are lucky. SC has a permit and its probably cheaper since it never went to criticality. Little to not much Zoomie Junk. Overhaul and Reactivation of a Older Nuclear Power Plant is not cheap. This guy Mark knows that but never mentioned the cost. 4 Billion is just a drop in the bucket and he knows it. Cost overruns alone will double that above figure. And additionally its only for Microsoft Power Needs. Not yours.

[Viewer]

The irony, all these EVs that promised to reduce the pollution foot print will need to be power by nuclear power that we all know is the most ecofriendly power source never mind furthering Solar power 🥸

[DonCarso]

One thing every nuclear plant has in common, at some point, every one will melt down or will render the property unusable in the future. 100% fail. At least I could destroy and build houses on an old coal plant. Good use repurposing a nuclear plant location.

[Endogamy]

Scary world, when run by mad people! The last nuclear disaster was in Japan.

[javastream]

Maybe they should use Chernobyl 🇺🇦 too ? ☠