Why AWS is Eyeing Nuclear Power for AI Data Centre Growth

AI’s acceleration has caused demand for computing power to reach new heights, putting energy supply at the centre of AI infrastructure planning.

Data centres, as the physical backbone of cloud computing and AI systems, now consume more than 1% of global electricity, with projections suggesting this figure could reach 3-4% by 2030 as AI deployments accelerate.

This surging energy requirement presents a complicated challenge for technology companies balancing ambitious AI development roadmaps with climate commitments.

While renewable sources like wind and solar offer zero-carbon electricity, their intermittent nature complicates reliability for data centres that require constant power.

As a result, this tension has renewed interest in nuclear energy as a potential solution for AI's growing appetite for electricity.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) Chief Executive Matt Garman has identified nuclear power as a critical component in meeting the energy demands of AI infrastructure, as the cloud computing provider plans significant investment in UK data centres.

Nuclear power’s capabilities for AI challenges

AWS, which provides cloud computing platforms and APIs to individuals, companies and governments, expects to contribute £14bn (US$18.63bn) to the UK's GDP over the next five years through data centre investments.

“Nuclear is a great solution to the energy needs of data centres,” Matt tells the BBC.

In 2023, AWS formed partnerships with Energy Northwest, Dominion Energy and nuclear reactor company X-energy to invest in nuclear energy production.

“They are an excellent source of zero carbon, 24/7 power.”

Simultaneously, the UK government has proposed AI Growth Zones designed to attract investment in data centre infrastructure while addressing planning and power challenges that have constrained development.

As a result, nuclear power generation has become increasingly attractive to technology companies seeking to balance the substantial energy requirements of AI systems with environmental commitments.

“It's something we plan many years out,” says Matt regarding energy requirements.

“We invest ahead. I think the world is going to have to build new technologies. I believe nuclear is a big part of that, particularly as we look 10 years out.”

AWS’s multimodal strategy for AI demand

AWS maintains its position as the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy globally, with more than 40 solar and wind farm projects in the UK alone.

This diversified energy strategy shows that the company recognises that meeting the power demands of AI systems requires multiple approaches.

The substantial power requirements of AI systems stem from the computational intensity of training and running large-scale machine learning (ML) models, which perform complex calculations across massive datasets.

“AI is one of the most transformative technologies since the internet. It's going to have a significant effect on almost every part of our lives,” Matt explains.

The expansion of AI capabilities has raised questions about energy consumption and environmental impact, particularly as companies deploy increasingly sophisticated models.

Yet AWS's investment in nuclear energy is a strategic approach to addressing these concerns while meeting the growing demand for AI infrastructure.

The company's planned investment in UK data centres is expected to create jobs across construction, facility maintenance, engineering, telecommunications and other sectors of the local economy.

This investment forms part of the broader data centre supply chain that supports the digital infrastructure necessary for AI development and deployment.

“With any technology that is sufficiently new or hard to understand, people are probably appropriately scared of it initially, until they better understand it so that initial response is not particularly surprising,” Matt says.

“Anytime you're building that much of a transformational technology, it's important to think about those controls and guardrails so that it can go towards the betterment of society not the detriment.”

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