Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) & AI Power
Nuclear batteries for the AI explosion.
Explore this event on the interactive timeline →Facing the massive electrical grid constraints caused by the exponential growth of AI data centers, the tech industry pivoted entirely toward funding and deploying Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)—essentially mass-produced "plug-and-play" nuclear fission reactors.
Verified Facts
- Traditional nuclear power plants are massive, multi-decade civil engineering projects that frequently run billions of dollars over budget. SMRs are designed to be built on an assembly line in a factory and shipped via truck to the data center.
- Between 2024 and 2026, tech giants like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft poured over $10 billion into nuclear startups (like Oklo, Kairos, and X-Energy) directly to secure reliable, 24/7 carbon-free baseload power for their AI clusters.
- With early pilot programs beginning in 2027 and mass commercial deployment targeted for 2030, this shift represents the first time in history that private computing corporations, rather than national governments, became the primary driving force behind nuclear physics.