this post was submitted on 21 Sep 2024
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Microsoft inks deal to restart Three Mile Island nuclear reactor to fuel its voracious AI ambitions (www.tomshardware.com)
submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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Modern AI data centers consume enormous amounts of power, and it looks like they will get even more power-hungry in the coming years as companies like Google, Microsoft, Meta, and OpenAI strive towards artificial general intelligence (AGI). Oracle has already outlined plans to use nuclear power plants for its 1-gigawatt datacenters. It looks like Microsoft plans to do the same as it just inked a deal to restart a nuclear power plant to feed its data centers, reports Bloomberg.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It operated for a long time profitably. It ceased operations in 2019 because it became unprofitable, largely because Methane undercut it. Methane should cost a lot more, but they don't have to pay for negative externalities. Nuclear has to contain all of its waste, and handle it carefully.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

as opposed to just spewing it out in the air? (carbon 14 is a thing, those things emit a lot more radioactivity to the environment)

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

I'm not saying they should not contain it. I'm saying other sources should have to. We only force one energy source has to pay for the cost of all of its waste. Why is that? It's only to the benefit of dirty energy.