Several major tech companies signed on to a pledge to triple nuclear power capacity worldwide by 2050 in an effort to meet growing energy demand, driven in large part by the companies themselves and their pursuit of artificial intelligence.
The pledge came on the sidelines of the CERAWeek Conference in Houston, Texas, where big tech joined forces with more than a dozen global banks, 140 nuclear industry companies and 31 countries to support nuclear energy expansion.
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Amazon, Google, Meta, Dow, and oil company Occidental were among the founding signatories of the Wednesday pledge, which was coordinated by the World Nuclear Association.
In signing the pledge, these companies said that nuclear energy, among other safe and clean energy sources, plays an important role in creating a diversified and reliable grid. They also agree that nuclear capacity should at least triple by 2050 from current levels in order “to help achieve global goals for enhanced energy resiliency and security, and continuous firm clean energy supply.”
The pledge notes that nuclear power should not only provide energy for technological advancements, but for increased electrification, hydrogen production, synthetic fuels production, district heating, and more.
“As global economies expand, the need for a reliable, clean, and resilient energy supply is paramount. Nuclear energy, with its ability to provide continuous power, can help meet this rising demand,” Meta’s head of Global Energy, Urvi Parekh, said in a statement.
A similar pledge was signed by 14 financial institutions in September, backing the goals set during negotiations at the 29th United Nationals Climate Change Conference in 2023.
Nuclear energy currently generates around 9% of the world’s electricity, from roughly 439 reactors, according to the World Nuclear Association. Construction on at least nine new reactors began in 2024, with a flurry of deals on new generation and advanced nuclear also having been announced.
Big Tech led the way in boosting renewed support for nuclear energy last year, unveiling purchase agreements for restarting retired plants or developing smaller advanced reactors known as small modular reactors.
In September, Microsoft announced it was entering an agreement with Constellation Energy to restart the Three Mile Island facility in Pennsylvania by 2028. Notably, Microsoft did not sign onto this week’s pledge.
Just weeks later, Google announced a deal with Kairos Power to purchase nuclear power generated by a number of SMRs, which the first expected to come online by 2030. Amazon is also investing in multiple SMR projects in Virginia and Washington state and is looking to co-locate a data center with Talen Energy’s Susquehanna nuclear plant in Pennsylvania.
Many of these deals and agreements require approval by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
By the end of the summer, the NRC will likely release its final decision on the reopening of the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan, which would be the first decommissioned facility to come back online in the U.S. The 800-megawatt facility is anticipated to come back online by the end of 2025.
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In a statement released Wednesday, the World Nuclear Association pointed to this ongoing trend of support for nuclear power, noting there is a clear path for the rapid expansion of the energy source.
“The global shift towards more nuclear highlights this is the only way we’ll deliver the abundant firm clean energy required to power growth and innovation in technology, a host of other industries and the entire economy,” said Sama Bilbao y Leon, Director General of World Nuclear Association.