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Facebook Parent Meta Platforms has announced a 20-year contract with a large nuclear energy provider company to provide power to its artificial intelligence data centers.
A long-term agreement with constellation energy draws power from Illinois nuclear power plants and ensures a stable, carbon-free energy source to meet the increasing AI needs of meta, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
The transaction reflects a similar partnership between Constellation and Microsoft. This includes the three-mile island nuclear facility, the power plant that NPR is known as the site of the worst commercial nuclear accident in US history.
“That’s a huge deal,” said David Lazarus, KTLA consumer reporter.
Lazarus explained how these commitments reflect the power demand of the high-tech industry, driven by the explosive growth of artificial intelligence systems.
“These commitments highlight the insatiable need for electricity in Big Technology. In fact, it’s enough juice to power a small city,” Lazarus said. “Additionally, AI facilities run full throttle all the time, so they need a huge amount of water to cool the equipment.”
While AI advocates point to the potential for productivity and social transformation, critics warn about environmental and ethical trade-offs.
“This is an industry that was meant to reinvigorate the nuclear industry, which was once on the ropes, as other fuel sources were discovered,” Lazarus said. “And now, Big Technology is bringing nuclear power back in a big way.”
As Lazarus said, “On the one hand, what we have here is a meme. On the other hand, a three-mile island. You get it.”
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