Meta, the tech giant behind Facebook and Instagram, has announced its intention to partner with nuclear energy developers to power its artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions. This move marks the latest in a series of deals between Big Tech companies and the nuclear energy industry, as the sector seeks to reduce its carbon footprint and meet growing sustainability goals.

The company has released a request for proposals to identify potential partners that can help it develop nuclear energy capacity in the United States. Meta is interested in both small modular reactors (SMRs) and larger reactors, with the goal of adding 1-4 gigawatts of new nuclear generation capacity in the US by the early 2030s. This would be a significant increase, considering that the country's 54 existing nuclear power plants currently have a combined capacity of roughly 97GW and generate about 19 percent of the US electricity mix.

Meta's decision to explore nuclear energy is driven by the energy-intensive nature of developing new AI tools. The company recognizes that its sustainability goals are at risk of being derailed unless it can find cleaner sources of electricity to power its data centers. By turning to nuclear energy, Meta hopes to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and decrease its carbon emissions.

Meta is not alone in its pursuit of nuclear energy. Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have all made similar moves in recent months. Amazon purchased a nuclear-powered data center campus in March and has since inked deals to support the development of SMRs. Google announced an agreement in October to purchase electricity from SMRs to be built between 2030 and 2035, while Microsoft signed a power purchase agreement in September to restart a shuttered reactor at Three Mile Island.

The shift towards nuclear energy is part of a broader trend in the tech industry, as companies seek to reduce their environmental impact and meet growing demands for sustainability. The US government has also thrown its support behind nuclear energy, with the Biden administration crafting a roadmap to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050. The Inflation Reduction Act signed into law in 2022 provides crucial investment and tax incentives to help achieve this goal.

Despite the optimism surrounding nuclear energy, there are still significant challenges to overcome. The construction of new reactors is a complex and time-consuming process, with the first all-new nuclear reactor to be built in the US in decades starting operation in 2023 – seven years overdue and $17 billion over budget. Moreover, the industry still faces conundrums when it comes to responsibly securing uranium for fuel and figuring out where to safely store radioactive waste.

While Meta's announcement is a positive step towards reducing the tech industry's carbon footprint, it is unlikely to have a significant impact on the US's short-term climate goals. President Joe Biden committed the US to cutting greenhouse gas emissions roughly in half from peak levels by 2030 under the Paris agreement, a goal that will require more immediate and drastic action.

Nevertheless, Meta's move into nuclear energy marks an important step towards a cleaner, more sustainable future for the tech industry. As the sector continues to grow and evolve, it is likely that we will see more companies following in Meta's footsteps and exploring alternative energy sources to power their operations.