In a bold move to reshape the global energy landscape, industry titans Amazon, Google, and Meta have joined forces with major corporations to support the ambitious goal of tripling global nuclear energy capacity by 2050. This initiative, known as the "Large Energy Users Pledge," is spearheaded by the World Nuclear Association and has already garnered backing from various organizations spanning energy, logistics, and manufacturing sectors.
Allseas, Bureau Veritas, Carbon3Energy, Clean Energy Buyers Alliance, Core Power, Dow, Fly Green Alliance, Lloyd’s Register, Occidental, OSGE, and Siemens Energy are among the signatories. The pledge underscores a stark reality—energy demand is set to surge exponentially, driven by industries increasingly reliant on high-powered computational resources. Advocates argue that scaling nuclear capacity is essential for meeting this demand and critical for global energy security, resilience, and decarbonization efforts.
The timing of this commitment is no coincidence. As AI-driven data centers proliferate, power consumption skyrockets, pushing tech firms to rethink their long-term energy strategies. In the past year alone, major companies have pivoted towards nuclear as a viable solution to balance massive electricity needs with aggressive carbon reduction targets.
Meta, for example, made waves in December by announcing its search for nuclear energy partners in the U.S., targeting 1 to 4 GW of additional nuclear generation capacity. The company reported overwhelming interest, with over 50 qualified submissions from utilities, developers, and nuclear technology manufacturers responding to its request for proposals (RFPs).
Parekh added, “Our RFP approach has been rooted in understanding how we can partner with utilities and accelerate and spur new nuclear energy projects. We believe that the best chance for success for nuclear to scale quickly will be to install multiple nuclear units, and we hope that our engagement will create the certainty needed by the market to begin permitting, siting, designing, and engineering these facilities.”
Meanwhile, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has poured over $1 billion into nuclear energy projects over the past year, positioning nuclear as a key component of its broader Climate Pledge to reach net-zero carbon by 2040. Despite already achieving its 100% clean energy target seven years ahead of schedule, Amazon acknowledges that the surging energy demands of generative AI necessitate a diversified, carbon-free energy portfolio beyond just wind and solar.
Oyer added: “Accelerating nuclear energy development will be critical to strengthening our nation’s security, meeting future energy demands, and addressing climate change.”
Google, too, has doubled down on nuclear innovation. Committed to operating on 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030, the tech giant struck a groundbreaking deal in October 2024 with Kairos Power, setting the stage for a fleet of small advanced nuclear reactors across the U.S. These projects are expected to deliver up to 500 MW of clean energy—a significant step towards ensuring Google’s data centers are powered entirely by carbon-free sources at all hours.
Lucia Tian, Head of Clean Energy & Decarbonization Technologies at Google, said: “We are proud to sign a pledge in support of tripling nuclear capacity by 2050, as nuclear power will be pivotal in building a reliable, secure, and sustainable energy future. Google will continue to work alongside our partners to accelerate the commercialization of advanced nuclear technologies that can provide the around-the-clock clean energy necessary to meet growing electricity demand around the world.”
The World Nuclear Association anticipates that more corporate giants will join the pledge in the coming months. Interest is already growing from sectors beyond tech, including maritime, aviation, chemicals, and oil and gas—industries that face unique challenges in transitioning to low-carbon, high-reliability energy sources.
Sama Bilbao y Leon, Director General of the World Nuclear Association, said: “The global shift towards more nuclear highlights this is the only way we’ll deliver the abundant firm clean energy required to power growth and innovation in technology, a host of other industries, and the entire economy.”
Comments