The United States has sealed a $80.000 billion partnership with Westinghouse for expand nuclear power aimed at fueling The rise of data centers and artificial intelligence (AI). The agreement involves Brookfield Asset Management and Cameco, and its goal is to accelerate the deployment of baseline capacity to support increasingly intensive computing loads.
The move comes amid a surge in electricity demand linked to the cloud and AI, and reopens the nuclear option after years of stagnation and rising costs. Big tech companies like Google and Microsoft They are pushing in the same direction, while in Europe the option of next-generation reactors is gaining traction, with selections from AP1000 in PolandUkraine and Bulgaria.
An unprecedented agreement: financing, distribution and timeline
According to Westinghouse, the federal government will finance the construction of new reactors with a public-private partnership scheme that includes profit sharingThe State will receive 20% of the cash surpluses above $17.500 billion, once the program is operational.
The plan is aligned with the executive order that aims to have ten large reactors under construction by 2030Although there are no firm entry-into-service dates, the priority is to shorten the timeframe: the NRC has been asked to reduce the authorizations take about 18 months for new designs.
The turnaround comes after a long decade of stagnation and the resurgence of nuclear energy: No new power plants have been built since 2009 And the last two reactors activated exceeded $30.000 billion in cost, more than double what was initially planned, a burden that adds to the reputational damage caused by historical accidents.
Reactor technology and models
Westinghouse proposes two lines: the AP1000, a pressurised water reactor of more than 1 GW already certified by the NRC, and the AP300, a small modular reactor (SMR) of 300 MW that continues in the certification processBoth aim to provide continuous and stable energy, key for the AI server farms.
The company claims to have 14 AP1000 under construction and five more hired in several countries, and highlights that its technology has been selected for national programs in Poland, Ukraine and Bulgaria.
Involvement Brookfield and Cameco strengthens access to capital and fuel supply chaintwo essential aspects for deployment next generation reactors on a large scale and with certainty of deadlines.
AI, data centers and nuclear reactivations
Projections point to a surge in consumption: BloombergNEF estimates that data centers They could double their demand In the US, it is projected to reach almost 9% of the total by 2035, while the IEA forecasts that globally it will be reached by 2030. around 945 TWh after accelerated growth since 2024.
Given this scenario, the technology sector is taking action. In addition to the federal program, Companies like Google and Microsoft have announced commitments to nuclear projects to ensure emission-free energy with 24/7 availability for the AI and the cloud.
A prime example is Iowa: Google and NextEra Energy They have agreed to reactivate the Duane Arnold nuclear power plant, which was closed in 2020, with 615 MW planned and a supply contract 25 yearsThe goal is for it to resume operations in 2029 to power the region's data centers.
Duane Arnold's project includes local economic stimulus: it is estimated approximately 400 direct jobs and more than 1.200 indirect and induced benefits, plus billions of dollars in aggregate benefits for the Midwest according to initial estimates.
In parallel, Bloomberg cites possible reactivations such as Three Mile Island (a reactor with a 2027 target) and Palisades (Michigan, with the intention of a short-term restart), and talks in VC Summer (South Carolina) to resume a project that was partially built and abandoned in 2017.
European perspective
The American wave serves as a reference point for Europe, where the invasion of Ukraine It reordered energy priorities. The selection of the AP1000 in Poland, Ukraine and Bulgaria It shows that advanced reactors are gaining importance in national strategies, a movement also observed by operators of data centers who are looking for guaranteed supply and a reduced carbon footprint.
With a federal program of 80.000 milliona regulatory push to shorten permits, technologies such as AP1000 and AP300 frontline and reactivation projects such as Duane ArnoldThe race to power AI with emission-free baseload energy is entering a decisive phase, with effects that could extend to electricity and digital planning on both sides of the Atlantic.
