this post was submitted on 21 Sep 2024
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Microsoft inks deal to restart Three Mile Island nuclear reactor to fuel its voracious AI ambitions (www.tomshardware.com)
submitted 1 month ago by irreticent@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
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Modern AI data centers consume enormous amounts of power, and it looks like they will get even more power-hungry in the coming years as companies like Google, Microsoft, Meta, and OpenAI strive towards artificial general intelligence (AGI). Oracle has already outlined plans to use nuclear power plants for its 1-gigawatt datacenters. It looks like Microsoft plans to do the same as it just inked a deal to restart a nuclear power plant to feed its data centers, reports Bloomberg.

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[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 39 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Honestly, it probably is a great idea regardless. The plant operated for a very long time profitably. I'm sure it can again with some maintenance and upgrades. People only know three mile island for the (not so disastrous) disaster, but the rest of the plant operated for decades after without any issues.

[–] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 15 points 1 month ago (2 children)

with some maintenance and upgrades.

Hopefully we can trust these tech bros to do that properly and without using their usual "move fast and break things" approach.

[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 18 points 1 month ago

They are only buying 100% of the output. The old owners are still owning and operating it.

[–] ShepherdPie@midwest.social 2 points 1 month ago

And if they do skimp on maintenance and upgrades and the plant melts down, we can be assured that no harm will come to the company because the scale of the disaster would wipe them out and they're "too big to fail."

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It's one of a hell of an old nuclear plant if it's the original three mile island one.

[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 7 points 1 month ago

It is, yeah. It was in operation until 2019.