Amazon announced significant investments in nuclear energy on Wednesday, joining other tech giants in aiming to meet the high electric power demands of cloud computing and artificial intelligence using atomic energy.
As companies including Microsoft, Amazon, and Google rapidly expand their global data center capabilities, they are actively seeking new electricity sources.
Amazon has signed three agreements to support the development of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), which are more compact and potentially easier to deploy than traditional reactors.
The technology is still in its infancy and lacks regulatory approval, however, raising doubts about implementation timelines.
“One of the fastest ways to address climate change is by transitioning our society to carbon-free energy sources, and nuclear energy is both carbon-free and able to scale — which is why it’s an important area of investment for Amazon,” said Matt Garman, CEO of Amazon Web Services.
Amazon’s new partnerships include collaborating with Energy …