From DAILY SKEPTIC
by Nick Bowler
On September 20th there was an announcement from a little-known energy company based in Baltimore, Pennsylvania:
Constellation today announced the signing of a 20-year power purchase agreement with Microsoft that will pave the way for the launch of the Crane Clean Energy Center (CCEC) and the return to service of Three Mile Island Block 1, operating with industry-leading levels of safety and reliability for decades , before it was shut down for economic reasons exactly five years ago today. Under the agreement, Microsoft will purchase energy from the renovated facility to help meet the power consumption of its data centers in PJM with carbon-free energy.
There are two very significant things about this announcement. First, the company operates a nuclear reactor on Three Mile Island, the site of one of the world's largest nuclear accidents. The reactor was due to be decommissioned and the plant completely decommissioned over the next few years, but with this deal it has now been given new life. If Constellation receives approval from its local authorities to implement the project, it will truly be a turning point for the future of nuclear energy.
The second important fact is that the buyer of the entire production of this reactor for the next 20 years is Microsoft. The tech giant will build a new AI development plant nearby and will need the power of a nuclear reactor to meet the project's energy needs.
The expected huge increase in energy demand in this sector (which must come exclusively in the form of electricity) is prompting AI companies to strike deals with energy companies to gain a piece of the world in which energy security is becoming ever less and scarce from cake to secure less secure.
AI will even surpass the massive energy consumption required for digital cryptocurrency transactions and storage.
It takes a long time to build a new nuclear power plant, so the focus is now turning to small modular reactors (SMRs) to enable faster turnaround. These can be built and put into operation much more quickly than conventional reactors, assuming of course that there is the political will to authorize their construction in the first place.
Many companies recognize the opportunities of this new technology. Among others, Rolls Royce is getting involved – already focusing on “clean and affordable” – tying the technology to the green revolution to win government support.
All of this presents both a problem and a solution to the Labor government's drive towards net zero. It is becoming increasingly clear to many people that the limitations and costs of net zero are outweighing the benefits in trying to achieve the lofty goals , which are included in the current government's eco-ambitions, will far outweigh them.
In particular, as many articles on this site demonstrate, it is impossible to rely on renewable energy sources without a constant backup power supply. Since fossil fuels are excluded, only one currently viable source at reasonable prices remains: nuclear energy.
However, due to the long history of fear-mongering and negativity associated with Labor's opposition to the Trident missile system for decades, nuclear power carries a serious political stigma.
The political activist group Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), which opposes all forms of nuclear energy, saw a rise in membership when Tony Blair announced plans to expand Britain's nuclear power capacity in 2007.
This resurgence of public concern at this time must serve as a warning to the Labor government about “selling” nuclear power to its supporters and the public. But how much choice will there really be in this matter? The catalyst for change comes from the AI revolution, which appears to have no intention of being stopped.
Here's what Yann lecCun, chief AI scientist at Meta, said about the deal with Constellation:
In addition to energy production sites, AI data centers are being built that can continuously produce cost-effective, low-emission electricity on a gigawatt scale.
Basically next to nuclear power plants.
The advantage is that it does not require expensive and wasteful remote distribution infrastructure.
Note: Yes, solar and wind are all well and good, but they require a lot of land and huge energy storage systems in case there is not enough sun and/or wind. Neither easy nor cheap.
In addition to energy production sites, AI data centers are being built that can continuously produce cost-effective, low-emission electricity on a gigawatt scale.
Basically next to nuclear power plants.
The advantage is that there is no need for expensive and wasteful remote distribution… https://t.co/bVxNmYZiQh
— Yann LeCun (@ylecun) September 22, 2024
AI and nuclear energy seem to be a match made in heaven. There is hope that a more sensible energy policy will be developed in Great Britain. But one must expect that the government will experience all sorts of hypocritical and hypocritical statements as it tries to make nuclear power palatable to its left-wing supporters.
Like this:
Load…
