In a significant move to reshape the global energy landscape, Amazon, Google, and Meta have joined forces with several major companies to support the goal of tripling nuclear energy capacity worldwide by 2050. The initiative, called the Large Energy Users Pledge, is led by the World Nuclear Association and has already garnered support from key players across the energy, logistics, and manufacturing industries.
Companies such as Allseas, Bureau Veritas, Carbon3Energy, Clean Energy Buyers Alliance, Core Power, Dow, Fly Green Alliance, Lloyd’s Register, Occidental, OSGE, and Siemens Energy are also part of the pledge. The goal is clear: meet the increasing demand for energy, particularly as industries, including tech, continue to expand and consume more power. Advocates of nuclear energy argue that scaling up its use is essential to meeting these demands while maintaining energy security and supporting global decarbonisation goals.
Rising Energy Demand Fuels the Push for Nuclear
As demand for energy grows, driven by technological advancements like AI, large tech companies are rethinking how they meet their energy needs. The growing need for power in data centres, in particular, has pushed companies like Meta, Amazon, and Google to consider nuclear energy as a solution.
Meta made headlines in December with its announcement that it was seeking nuclear energy partners in the U.S. to secure between 1 and 4 gigawatts (GW) of additional nuclear capacity. The company received more than 50 responses to its request for proposals (RFPs) from utilities and nuclear developers, signalling strong interest in nuclear energy as a viable option.
“By installing multiple nuclear units, we can help nuclear energy scale quickly,” said Parekh, a Meta spokesperson. “We hope our involvement will create the certainty needed to push forward with permitting, siting, designing, and building these facilities.”
Amazon and Google Invest in Nuclear Projects
Amazon has also committed heavily to nuclear energy. The company’s cloud division, Amazon Web Services (AWS), has invested over $1 billion into nuclear energy projects in the past year. This commitment is part of Amazon’s broader Climate Pledge, which aims for net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Even though Amazon reached its goal of using 100% renewable energy seven years ahead of schedule, the company recognises that the increasing energy demands of modern technology, like generative AI, require a more diverse, carbon-free energy mix.
“Accelerating nuclear energy development is critical to ensuring our nation’s security and meeting future energy demands,” said Oyer, an Amazon spokesperson.
Google is also making strides in the nuclear energy sector. The company has pledged to operate on 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030, and in October 2024, it struck a deal with Kairos Power to develop small nuclear reactors across the U.S. These projects are expected to generate up to 500 MW of clean energy and are a significant step towards ensuring Google’s data centres run entirely on carbon-free power.
“We’re proud to support the tripling of nuclear capacity by 2050,” said Lucia Tian, Head of Clean Energy & Decarbonisation Technologies at Google. “Nuclear energy will be a key part of building a reliable, sustainable energy future. We’ll continue working with our partners to accelerate the commercialisation of advanced nuclear technologies.”
A Growing Trend Across Industries
The World Nuclear Association anticipates more companies will join the pledge in the coming months. While tech companies have led the way, interest is growing from other industries, including maritime, aviation, chemicals, and oil and gas—sectors that face their own challenges in shifting to low-carbon, reliable energy sources.
Sama Bilbao y Leon, Director General of the World Nuclear Association, said: “The global shift towards more nuclear energy highlights that this is the only way we can meet the growing demand for clean, reliable energy, while supporting innovation in both technology and industry.”