Nuclear Power: The new horizon...
U.S. companies—especially those in tech and energy—are currently building, acquiring, or powering operations with their own nuclear reactors (or planning to). This isn't just a hypothetical “powering Microsoft servers” scenario—it’s real and evolving.
The list below shows what's happening and being planned.
| Company / Entity |
Activity |
Timeline / Notes |
| Microsoft (via Constellation) |
Restart TMI Unit 1 for PPA |
~2028 launch |
| Google (Kairos Power) |
Deploy SMRs in Tennessee |
Target ~2030 |
| Amazon, Meta |
Exploring microreactors |
Planning stages |
| TerraPower (Gates) |
Build Natrium reactor in Wyoming |
~2030 operation |
| Oklo & Lightbridge |
Feasibility on co-locating fuel fac. |
Planning stage |
| Terrestrial Energy |
IMSR development, site at Texas A&M |
Licensing & SPAC in 2025 |
| Last Energy |
Factory-made PWR‑20 microreactors |
Ongoing global deployment |
| Holtec International |
Restart Palisades, add SMR‑300 |
Restart ~2025, SMRs by 2030 |
| Oklo / TerraPower (funds) |
SMR developers with heavy investment |
Active ramp-up |
| Fermi America (Rick Perry) |
Big nuclear AI data campus (AP1000) |
Nuclear ~2032, financing uncertain |
Click here to see the sources for the above table.
What’s Driving This Trend?
- Data center energy demand (AI): Hyperscalers (Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta) are seeking clean, reliable baseload power, and nuclear offers a compelling solution (Data Center Frontier, U.S. Energy Information Administration, vox.com, Wikipedia, NucNet, Wikipedia, Reuters, Wikipedia, The Nuclear Company).
- Advanced reactor technologies (SMRs, microreactors, molten salt, sodium cooled) are becoming viable and appealing due to smaller footprint, modularity, and faster deployment (Wikipedia, Reuters).
- Government support: DOE grants, loan guarantees, and regulatory aid are driving projects such as TerraPower (~$2B DOE), Holtec’s DOE loan, and TerraPower’s Natrium demo (Wikipedia).
- New corporate PPAs and partnerships: Public-private collaboration is becoming more common in nuclear energy deployment (blog.google, The Times of India, Financial Times).
These are some of the articles we've added to our website.
The approval from the NRC will allow the Palisades nuclear power plant to receive new fuel.
In a significant decision for the nuclear industry in the United States, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has authorized the request to bring the Palisades nuclear power plant back into operation.
Holtec, the US-founded multinational company, had approached the NRC with a request to transition the Palisades Nuclear Plant from decommissioning status back to an operating license.
This marks the first time that a previously shut-down US nuclear plant has received approval to return to operations.
Click here to read the article at Interestingengineering.com
RICHLAND, Wash. – Amazon (Nasdaq; AMZN) and Energy Northwest, a public power agency leading in the development of next-generation nuclear technologies, today announced an agreement to fund efforts to move toward development and deployment of small modular reactor (SMR) technology in Washington state to advance reliable energy across the Northwest.
As the demand for energy resources continue to rise, Energy Northwest and Amazon recognize the urgent need to develop advanced technologies in the Pacific Northwest that provide reliable, carbon-free and sustainable energy generation. SMRs offer a promising solution to that need through scalable and flexible energy output.
Click here to read the article at energy-northwest.com
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