Amazon makes $500M bet on nuclear reactors

Amazon has announced a significant investment of $500 million in X-energy's small modular reactors (SMRs) to support the development of nuclear energy projects aimed at powering its data centers. The initiative is part of Amazon's strategy to address energy scarcity and meet its Climate Pledge commitment to achieve net-zero carbon operations by 2040. The company plans to construct four advanced SMRs in Washington State, which are expected to generate approximately 320 megawatts of power initially, with potential expansion to 12 reactors producing a total of 960 megawatts. This capacity could power around 770,000 homes. Additionally, Amazon is exploring further SMR developments in Virginia in partnership with Dominion Energy. The project is anticipated to create up to 1,000 temporary construction jobs and over 100 permanent positions. Other tech giants, including Microsoft and Google, are also pursuing similar nuclear energy strategies to power their data centers, highlighting a growing trend in the industry. However, challenges such as regulatory hurdles, high costs, and public perception of nuclear energy remain significant obstacles to the widespread adoption of SMRs.

- Amazon invests $500 million in X-energy's small modular reactors.

- The project aims to generate 5 gigawatts of power in the US by 2039.

- Initial construction will include four reactors in Washington State.

- The initiative is part of Amazon's commitment to achieve net-zero carbon operations by 2040.

- Other tech companies are also exploring nuclear energy solutions for data centers.