Data centers facilitate the rapid growth of AI and cloud computing, yet they drive unprecedented increases in forecast energy demand. This trend raises the potential concern that the AI revolution could deepen global reliance on fossil fuels.
In “The Data Center—Nuke Nexus: Leveraging Colocated Nuclear and Renewable Energy to Sustain Data Center Growth,” Senior Consultant Benjamin Sokol and Partner Glenn George explore how colocating data centers with nuclear power plants and renewable energy resources could provide a transformative solution. This innovative approach could offer data centers direct access to reliable, carbon-free electricity, while possibly bypassing delays associated with connecting additional resources to the grid. Moreover, it mitigates concerns about any impact that colocating nuclear plants and data centers might have on grid-wide resource adequacy. The paper highlights the challenges, opportunities, and potential of hybrid nuclear-renewable colocation to meet the growing energy demands of data centers and other hyperscale power consumers.
