Staff Reporter
Amazon, Google, and Meta have joined forces to endorse a pledge aimed at tripling nuclear power across the globe by the year 2050.
This initiative, known as the Large Energy Users Pledge, is supported by the World Nuclear Association and major industry players such as Dow, Occidental, Alleseas, and OSGE. While the pledge is non-binding, it reflects a growing consensus on the need to expand nuclear energy, particularly after years of opposition from environmental advocates.
As these tech giants continue to grow, particularly with their energy-intensive data centers driving advancements in artificial intelligence, they remain some of the largest consumers of energy in the United States.
The pledge emphasizes the companies’ recognition that “nuclear energy can provide round-the-clock power, unaffected by weather, season, or geographical constraints.”
Currently, industry leaders from Amazon, Google, and Meta are gathered at the annual CERAWeek conference, hosted by S&P Global in Houston.
This year’s event boasts over 10,000 attendees from 80 countries, who are engaging in discussions and panels about “challenges ahead for energy security, supply, and climate ambitions,” as highlighted on the CERAWeek website.
Back in October, these tech giants took preliminary steps towards embracing nuclear energy, with a particular focus on small modular reactors capable of generating both electricity and heat, according to reports from the New York Times.
Former President Joe Biden has identified nuclear power as a key player in the fight against greenhouse gas emissions. In February 2024, he signed a bipartisan law aimed at accelerating the development of nuclear power plants, which gained support from a wide range of Congressional members.
At the World Climate Action Summit in 2023, the United States, along with 20 other nations, made an initial pledge to triple nuclear energy production. This commitment has recently expanded to include non-governmental organizations.
The pledge encourages other large energy users to join in this vital initiative, emphasizing the collective responsibility to enhance nuclear power’s role in the energy landscape.
