Andrew Smith
Supercomputing and artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly reshaping daily life—from mapping efficient driving routes and coordinating real-time supply chains to powering e-commerce, streaming movies, and finishing schoolwork. But this digital surge is straining America’s weakening power grid—and threatening our air quality in the process. Data centers are only as clean as the electricity powering them, and carbon-free nuclear energy is uniquely equipped to deliver the dispatchable, around-the-clock power they demand.
Demand is Growing
Today, computing already consumes as much electricity in commercial buildings as refrigeration. By 2035, it will surpass lighting in all US offices, stores, warehouses, and hospitals. According to the US Department of Energy, by 2040, it will use more electricity than air conditioning, and by 2050, computing will be the single largest source of commercial power demand. Meeting that load will require massive amounts of new, reliable capacity.
For years, big tech companies signed contracts for wind and solar “farms”—but increasingly, they are seeking generation that is available when needed. They know that when intermittent renewables fall short, firm and dispatchable power—like nuclear—keeps the lights on. After all, no one should wait on favorable weather conditions to verify a credit card at a gas pump or complete a transaction at the supermarket.
Struggles of Natural Gas
Natural gas is nuclear energy’s chief competitor for supplying dispatchable power. But gas-fired electricity is often in short supply during winter peaks when home heating takes priority or pipelines freeze. Coal-fired plants require constant train deliveries—and are vulnerable to weather, labor strikes, and accidents. These just-in-time, interruptible fuels carry another cost: air pollution.
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