Emerging AI Will Crush Renewable Energy

Fission power already has an excellent safety record outside the former Soviet bloc.

There is no credible empirical evidence -- none -- that consuming seafood from the Pacific Ocean is associated with greater exposure to radioactive isotopes or a greater cancer risk than any other seafood.

 

I know it's tiresome when people repeat themselves, but in my Post #81, I did write, "Nuclear power plants have the potential be our 'salvation', I suppose -- but they should never be built anywhere even remotely near earthquake faults! Surely Fukushima taught us at least that much...."

The hyperliberal-Left has already declared the death sentence for coal-fired energy plants (even those with electrostatic scrubbers), so, it seems inevitable that for the foreseeable future, nuclear power plants may be the only way we can have the energy we so badly need -- and not dismantle society in a wretched, impoverished chaos. But I thought what I was being accused of was in not being 'welcoming' to new technologies... nothing could be further from the truth.

The caveat I suggested is that we not build nuclear power plants anywhere near identified earthquake zones, or in close proximity to locations where tsunamis can occur. Is that asking too much? Evidently so....

 

when they are built next to the rich, we will know they are safe

 

We live in an upscale gated community. Nuclear power plant is 25 miles away.

 

is that a poorer town 25 miles away?

 

There are two there. They look like Hallmark movie settings.

 

There is a few in the USA

https://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/reactors/index.html

 

Surry and Smlthfield, VA.

 

Beautiful part of the state, and close to Williamsburg which I have enjoyed visiting so much. Also, because it is in a part of the state that is not on or right next to earthquake faults, it is probably a much better place to locate a nuclear power plant than anywhere in Japan....

Yes, there are some 'wigglers' out to your northwest, up close to the "Piedmont" region of the Appalachian foothills, but not many of those were strong enough even to be felt, except for a 'largish' one (ML5.8 ) in 2011. That quake is said to have been the biggest one in Virginia history, going back to 1897.

 

We live in Williamsburg.

 

AI is coming.
Reality Forces Reason into Power Choices
Gordon J. Fulks
Amazon executives realized their very profitable data centers would fail if they kept posturing with renewable energy. . . .

 

On a recurring side note we had another power outage here in Rio Vista CA on a sunny relatively calm day with a temperature of ~ 50F. It’s gotten so bad that there is a constant series of posts on Nextdoor with a PG&E phone number. This could be some sort of local problem but nevertheless shows a lack of PG&E resources to fix the problem.

 

Growth has consequences.
Green Energy Companies, Eco Activists Cry Foul Following Grid Operator’s Bid to Improve Energy Reliability
Owen Klinsky
The initiative, entitled the “Reliability Resource Initiative (RRI): Interim Accelerated Interconnection Process,” would allow up to 50 new generation projects to be connected to the grid alongside a slew of…

 

Another example of AI crushing renewable energy.
Facebook Commissions a 2GW Fossil Fuel Powered Data Center
Eric Worrall
Wasn’t there this issue, climate something, which used to be important to these people?

 

So it goes.
Meta Turns to Nuclear Energy for Its AI Ambitions
Justine Calma, The Verge

 

This is the driver of change.
AI’s Growing Energy Demands
Donald Bryson, RCEnergy

 

Sounds like a great plan. Hopefully the NRC can be excluded from the approval cycle of the small reactors.

“Expanding nuclear power through advanced technologies such as small modular reactors (SMRs) should be a top priority for long-term energy strategies. Several states in the Midwestand South are on the cutting edge of this new nuclear technology. Meanwhile, Natural gas must remain a critical transition fuel, providing on-demand energy and ensuring grid stability during peak usage and renewable shortfalls. Investments in pipeline capacity and infrastructure upgrades will support natural gas’s ability to meet immediate energy needs. These strategic energy infrastructure investment supports AI-driven growth and ensures long-term grid reliability. Additionally, leveraging AI-driven smart grid systems can enhance energy efficiency, improve the integration of diverse energy sources, and reduce consumer costs. By combining these strategies, states can achieve a resilient, affordable, and sustainable energy future.”

 

The proposition, restated.
Big Tech Drives Big Demand
The Empowerment Alliance

 

AI and nuclear power go hand in hand.
AI’s Energy Hunger Drives Nuclear Energy Resurgence
DigWatch

 

About 2 weeks ago, the little town I lived in had a public meeting regarding a data center that's proposed for the edge of town next to I81. 2 million square feet on 87 acres. That will make us the western edge of the Northern Virginia data center mass. For reference, Fairfax County just over the Blue Ridge has at least 60 of these (I know that because of a FERC report from last summer detailed a Lightning suppressor test that accidentally took them all down at once).

Did some digging around and got to chat with the local electrical co-op. The number that caught my eye was the power consumption of that data center. The gentleman wouldn't tell me exactly what he knew, but, since I'm an automotive engineer he said an automotive assembly plant will pull about 60 MW of power. This data center is slated to pull 2-3 times that.

For reference, the Dominion natural gas power plant in the next town over is plated at 1349 MW.

Bring on the nuclear!

 

The AI energy transition continues.
AI Power Demand Remaking Our Energy Ecosystem
Krejsa & Montgomery, RCEnergy

 

AI is driving this.
New Jersey Turning to Nuclear?
Ethan Howland, Utility Dive

 

This is only the beginning.
Google to Fund the Development of Three New Nuclear Sites
Pippa Stevens, CNBC

 

Renewable energy is not the only thing AI is going to crush. There are also jobs, creativity, humans... just to name a few

 

We shall see.