Social media giant Meta recently announced that it expects to require an additional 1 to 4 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2030 to support the development of its artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. This plan has drawn widespread attention, and Meta stated that it will issue a request for proposals (RFP) to find developers capable of supplying the necessary power in the United States.
In its blog, Meta mentioned that advancing future human connectivity technologies, including the next wave of AI innovations, requires an expansion of the power grid to incorporate new reliable, clean, and renewable energy sources. While Meta will continue to invest in solar and wind energy, it, along with many large cloud service providers, seems to believe that nuclear energy is the only practical way to meet AI's power demands while also fulfilling its sustainability commitments.
This is not Meta's first attempt at nuclear energy. Previous reports indicated that Meta planned to build a nuclear-powered data center at a certain location, but the project was canceled after the discovery of a rare species of bee.
To support the development of its latest AI models (such as Llama3.1405B), Meta's founder, Zuckerberg, has committed to deploying around 600,000 GPUs, which require substantial power to operate. Although specific details of the RFP have not been disclosed, Meta hopes that developers can provide 1 to 4 gigawatts of nuclear power, indicating some uncertainty about future power needs.
Meta also mentioned in its blog that, considering costs, it might deploy multiple small modular reactors (SMRs). These small reactors are similar to those used in submarines and aircraft carriers and can be co-located with data centers and other industrial buildings. Facing the growing energy demands of AI, many cloud service providers are looking towards SMRs, with several companies actively developing related technologies, although no one has yet proven their commercial viability.
Nevertheless, many data center operators are still signing power purchase agreements with SMR suppliers. Recently, the Sam Altman-backed startup Oklo revealed that it has received letters of intent from two major data center providers to supply 750 megawatts of power. Giants like Amazon and Google are also actively investing in nuclear energy, with Amazon planning to collaborate with X-energy to build multiple SMRs, while Google is pursuing a similar partnership with Kairos.
However, implementing these plans is not straightforward, as strict regulatory controls and public concerns about nuclear safety pose challenges even for existing nuclear infrastructure. Recently, Amazon faced a rejection from federal regulators when applying to increase its power supply from a nuclear plant in Pennsylvania, highlighting the complexities and uncertainties surrounding nuclear energy development.
Key Points:
🔋 Meta expects to require 1 to 4 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2030 to support its AI technology development.
🌍 The company will issue a request for proposals to find developers capable of providing the required power.
🧪 Small modular reactors (SMRs) are becoming a primary option to meet power demands, but their commercial viability has yet to be proven.