Are Nuclear Power Plants the Key to Powering Our Digital World? Argonne Study Aims to Find Out

LEMONT, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Every email sent, movie streamed or app used depends on data centers. But these facilities need a constant, reliable energy supply to power thousands of servers and nuclear power may be the ideal match.

To look into this further, researchers from the Systems Analysis and Integration (SA&I) campaign at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, along with Idaho National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, studied how nuclear energy could power data centers. Their findings, published in a DOE report, show how nuclear power plants could provide steady, 24/7 electricity while offering other benefits.

The energy demand of U.S. data centers is expected to grow exponentially. Nuclear energy, with its ability to provide reliable power, is well-suited to meet growing demand. The research team identified several pathways to meet demand, including restarting recently retired reactors, power purchase agreements with an existing nuclear fleet and new construction.

Picking the right location

Several factors make a site suitable for pairing nuclear power plants and data centers. A few criteria necessary for co-locating to be successful include geographic location, the availability of a nearby grid connection, water resources, a fiber network connection and workforce.

Offering economic benefits

Both data centers and nuclear power plants are huge drivers of jobs and tax revenue. Pairing them could bring even larger economic benefits to communities. For example, a 1 GW data center connected to a nuclear plant could create nearly 1,700 operational jobs and support an additional 7,300 jobs in urban areas and 3,200 jobs in a rural location.

Overcoming challenges

Despite its potential, combining nuclear power with data centers has challenges. These include construction timelines, regulatory hurdles, water availability and high upfront costs. However, the study outlines ways to address these issues. Restarting retired reactors, upgrading existing plants and using advanced nuclear technologies like small modular reactors (SMRs) are some options.

Articulating a future vision

This research is just the start. Next, the SA&I campaign will explore key areas like fuel needs, techno- and socio-economic feasibility and siting options and analyze several case studies. The goal is to create a framework for using nuclear energy with data centers, ensuring the digital economy grows sustainably.

As the digital age expands, national laboratories continue to lead in innovation, providing trusted insights to shape the future of energy and technology.