With plans to reopen the Palisades nuclear plant in Covert Township after three years of inactivity, major tech companies have pledged to triple global nuclear energy output by 2050.
The tech giants include Amazon, Google, and Meta, signing the “Large Energy Users Pledge” at an energy conference in Houston this month. The pledge backs development of small modular reactors for data centers and AI, but raises concerns over regulations and public opposition.
Physicist and nuclear expert M.V. Ramana says nuclear energy is environmentally risky and expensive, and despite the wealth of big tech, he says they won’t be footing the bill.
“Much of the funding for any of these activities, whether it’s building new reactors or reopening old shuttered reactors, is coming from the public, tax money that’s going in, it’ll be the rate payers’ money,” Ramala said.
Supporters maintain small modular reactors, or SMRs, will be safer, more efficient, and tested for reliability in powering the energy-intensive industries that need them.
