Nuclear energy is moving from theory to reality as a solution to meet surging data center demand.
At Data Cloud "A New Era for Nuclear", industry voices including Guy Cohen (Sightline Climate/CTVC), Mark Gusakov (International Data Center Authority/IDCA), Nina Sadighi, PE, SMIEEE (Eradeh Power Consulting), Brian Gitt (Oklo Inc), and Reed Clay (Texas Nuclear Alliance) explored how nuclear could transform the energy mix powering digital infrastructure.
As data centers continue to drive unprecedented power demand, nuclear energy is re-emerging as a credible solution to supply reliable, carbon-free baseload power. Our discussion covered some of the most pressing questions:
Regulatory readiness — How the NRC and evolving frameworks are shaping the ability to license and deploy advanced reactors at scale.
Commissioning & integration — Nina spoke on the importance of commissioning and testing as a critical part of licensing, and on the challenges of co-locating nuclear with data centers. Integration requires careful planning across safety, grid interconnection, and operational readiness. Microgrid approach is the key, integrating SMRs with DERs.
Flexibility for AI workloads — With PJM and other markets emphasizing flexibility, we explored how both large and small reactors will manage load balancing for highly variable data center demand profiles.
Construction & workforce — From turbine delivery timelines to first-of-a-kind (FOAK) workforce scaling, we discussed both the practical build-time hurdles and modular approaches aimed at accelerating deployment.
The underlying theme: AI needs nuclear, but nuclear also needs AI. As we design next-generation infrastructure, the intersection of advanced nuclear technology and hyperscale computing could redefine what's possible for sustainable, resilient power.
