“For the first time in our history, we have this one piece of underlying technology which cuts across everything we do today,” Pichai said of generative AI. He said, “I think the opportunity to do well here is something we are leaning into.”

Three years ago, Google released plans to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030. However, the proliferation of AI data centers has led to a surge in the big tech’s power consumption, which, in return, its greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 jumped 48% more than in 2019 on a carbon-dioxide equivalent basis.

Behind the scenes, Google is likely scrambling to secure green energy and curb emissions as 2030 quickly approaches.

“It was a very ambitious target,” Pichai said of the net-zero emissions targets, “and we will still be working very ambitiously towards it. Obviously, the trajectory of AI investments has added to the scale of the task needed.”

He continued, “We are now looking at additional investments, such as solar, and evaluating technologies like small modular nuclear reactors, etc.”

Nikkei noted that Pichai wasn’t clear on where Google might start sourcing nuclear power. A bulk of that power could come from reviving older nuclear power plants. This is exactly what Microsoft did when it signed a power agreement contract with dormant Three Mile Island on the Susquehanna River near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Recall that just last week, we wrote that Sam Altman-backed Nuclear SMR company Oklo announced it had finalized an agreement with the Department of Energy to advance the next phase of the SMR at the Idaho National Lab. And days ago, the Biden administration closed a $1.52 billion loan with Holtec’s Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan to revive it.

Sachem Cove Partners Chief Investment Officer Michael Alkin told Bloomberg shortly after the Microsoft-Three Mile Island deal, “It’s a wake-up call to those that have not been paying attention,” adding that demand already outstrips the supply of uranium and the restart of Three Mile Island “takes that to a bit of a different level.”

Also, the funding markets are becoming more receptive to nuclear deals as governments and big tech understand the only way to hit ambitious net zero goals is not with solar and wind but with nuclear power. In late December 2020, we outlined to readers that this would happen in a note titled “Buy Uranium: Is This The Beginning Of The Next ESG Craze?”

Furthermore, here’s Goldman’s latest note on uranium prices, which are only expected to “stairstep” higher over time.

The Telegraph reported that DTEK, owned by Ukrainian billionaire Rinat Akhmetov, is considering the installation of small modular reactors (SMRs) at sites currently powered by coal stations. (Related: After shutting down its last three nuclear power plants, Germany now has to buy nuclear-generated electricity from France.)

DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko envisions nuclear power playing a crucial role in the company’s future portfolio as Ukraine participates in the global shift away from primarily relying on fossil fuels, especially when the country begins rebuilding whenever the Russian special military operation in Ukraine concludes.

This strategic move aligns with Ukraine’s urgent need to diversify its energy sources and embrace decentralized and renewable options, such as wind and solar farms. The initiative is also a response to Russia’s targeted bombing campaign, specifically aimed at disrupting Ukraine’s grid infrastructure during the harsh winter months.

Despite increasing reliance on renewable energy, Timchenko underscores the significance of nuclear power for ensuring energy security in Ukraine. He highlights ongoing discussions with Rolls-Royce SMR to potentially convert the substantial capacity of coal-fired power stations within DTEK’s portfolio. According to the current state of the negotiations, DTEK and Rolls Royce would convert up to eight existing coal power plants, including two which are currently in Ukrainian territories occupied by Ukraine.

Ukraine is already heavily reliant on nuclear energy. Before the beginning of Russia’s special military operation, Ukraine’s four state-owned plants generated over half of the country’s power.

Notably, one of these sites, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, is currently situated in occupied territory. As part of the ongoing discussions with Rolls Royce, DTEK is also exploring the possibility of establishing part of the SMR supply chain in Ukraine, leveraging the country’s existing expertise in nuclear engineering. The details of these discussions remain confidential, according to Rolls-Royce SMR.

In response to Russian attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure since the conflict erupted in February 2022, DTEK is actively seeking alternative energy sources.

SMRs envisioned as a clean energy solution

Rolls Royce describes its SMR as an “affordable and eco-friendly energy solution” that utilizes proven and readily available technology to create a fully integrated nuclear power plant in a factory setting. It emphasizes modularization and maximizes factory-based work.

The global demand for clean energy has propelled the significance of the SMR, offering reliable pathways to achieve net-zero goals. It has been meticulously designed to meet this monumental global challenge and aspires to establish a world-class product to meet the demands of the global market.

The scalable factory-built model allows Rolls Royce to adapt to increasing demand by investing in additional factories using the same design and management systems applied to all SMRs.

A Rolls Royce SMR power station boasts a 470-megawatt capacity of low-carbon energy, equivalent to over 150 onshore wind turbines. With a lifespan of at least 60 years, it ensures consistent baseload generation, supporting the expansion of renewable generation.

Occupying just one-tenth of the size of a conventional nuclear generation site, the Rolls Royce SMR is factory-built, allowing completed modules to be transported by various means, reducing vehicle movements and completion risks while enhancing build time certainty.

A Rolls Royce SMR power station, equivalent to the size of two football pitches, can power around one million homes, supporting on-grid electricity and off-grid clean energy solutions for industrial processes and the production of clean fuels.

Read more stories like this at Nuclear.news. Watch this episode of “Decentralize.TV” as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, discusses the power production that can be provided by Low Energy Nuclear Reactions.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

• France edges closer to energy rationing as nuclear power plants suffer “issues”
• U.A.E. teams up with Bill Gates’ nuclear company to build ADVANCED NUCLEAR REACTORS
• Zelensky accuses Russia of planning nuclear “terrorist act” that involves leaking radiation from Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Sources include:

• ZeroHedge.com
• Telegraph.co.uk
• Rolls-Royce.com
• Brighteon.com

During the United Nations’ COP28 climate conference in Dubai on Dec. 4, Mohamed al-Hammadi, the CEO of the government-owned Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) said that the U.A.E. is committed to the advancement of its nuclear energy capability.

“For the U.A.E., we’re looking for a future for the clean electrons and molecules that will be brought to reality by advanced reactors,” said Al-Hammadi at the signing ceremony with TerraPower President and CEO Chris Levesque. (Related: Many countries investing in nuclear energy generation while America LANGUISHES in pursuit of less capable renewables.)

For his part, Levesque said that “bringing advanced nuclear technologies to market is critical to meeting global decarbonization goals.” In other words, the partnership seeks to advance research and development in nuclear energy to pave the way for cutting-edge solutions in the fight against so-called climate change.

The U.A.E. currently only has one traditional nuclear plant located near Abu Dhabi. It began producing electricity for the largely oil-dependent Gulf state in 2020.

Meanwhile, TerraPower is preparing a demonstration project for its advanced Natrium reactor in Wyoming that it hopes will be fully operational by 2030.

U.A.E. hopes research into advanced nuclear reactors can help with its green energy goals

The advanced reactors the U.A.E. is hoping to construct with the help of TerraPower are meant to be smaller, easier to build and more dynamic than traditional nuclear power plants. Organizations and nations that are transitioning to relying more on so-called clean energy sources see the use of advanced reactors as vital stable complements to the intermittency that is to be expected from wind and solar energy.

In the memorandum of understanding signed between ENEC and TerraPower, the two corporations would explore uses for advanced nuclear reactors such as storing power on the grid and providing the energy needed to produce hydrogen and decarbonize coal, steel and aluminum factories.

Abu Dhabi is also continuing to invest in other renewable energy sources. The Gulf state earlier this year signed an energy deal with Malaysia and is partnering with Egypt to build the largest wind farm in Africa, which is expected to displace nearly 24 million tons of carbon dioxide.

The U.A.E. is also partnering with fellow Gulf state and close ally Saudi Arabia to seek further investments into green energy projects, including nuclear.

And while the U.A.E. explores the possibilities associated with nuclear energy and invests in growing its renewable energy base, the BBC noted that Abu Dhabi has also used COP28 on its home turf to pursue bilateral oil agreements with foreign governments.

In March, the U.A.E. signed a deal to supply 65,000 tons of liquefied natural gas to China, a deal notable for eschewing the American dollar for the settlement of the deal and instead using the Chinese yuan or renminbi.

Learn more about renewable and nuclear energy generation at EnergySupply.news. Watch this clip from “Secret Harbour Sessions” as Tony Lambert discusses one kind of clean energy technology that the world has suppressed.

This video is from the Secret Harbour Sessions channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

• China’s 4th-generation nuclear plant now FULLY OPERATIONAL.
• War in the Middle East will become OBSOLETE once Low Energy Nuclear Reactions are allowed to flourish, providing low-cost energy to the world.
• German economy collapsing after nation abandoned nuclear energy – prices soar, industries implode.
• Clean energy breakthrough: eVinci nuclear microreactor from Westinghouse receives DOE contract.
• John Kerry admits NUCLEAR ENERGY is necessary but continues to push for wind and solar instead.

Sources include:

• New.theCradle.co
• Reuters.com
• Brighteon.com