coming soon: a global plan for microsoft’s data centers to be powered by microreactors and small modular reactors.
by rick richardson
technology this week
data centers are recognized for using an astonishing amount of energy. experts say they account for 1.5 percent to 2 percent of all electricity worldwide.
to become more environmentally conscious and to combat climate change, it companies have mainly concentrated on powering these through sustainable and renewable energy sources. however, the effort is becoming more difficult because of the growing energy demand brought about by introducing new technologies such as artificial intelligence because this field alone uses around four times as much power as servers use for cloud applications.
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in recognition of the impending challenges on its data centers, microsoft appointed a director of nuclear development acceleration, an arguably contentious move.
according to mckinsey, the power needs of u.s. data centers will increase from 17 gigawatts in 2022 to 35 gw by 2030. there are other issues than just electricity. artificial intelligence gpus require more cooling than traditional servers, and microsoft’s water use in data centers increased by 34 percent in 2022. as tech companies continue investing more in ai, this number will rise.
erin henderson, ph.d., mba, pmp, has accepted this job. she brings a lot of experience from her 13-year tenure with the tennessee valley authority, where she served as the general manager of transmission projects.
henderson will develop a global plan for microsoft’s data centers to be powered by microreactors and small modular reactors (smr). yes, you are correct – the business is going nuclear.
henderson announced her new position on linkedin, writing, “i am very excited to share that i’ve joined microsoft in a new role, director of nuclear development acceleration. microsoft is leading the way in advocating for a clean and sustainable energy future. i am looking forward to contributing to the data center r&d team’s success.”
according to a recent report by data center dynamics, microsoft worked with terra praxis, a nonprofit that promotes converting abandoned coal plant sites into contemporary smr homes, for six months.
microsoft’s nuclear aspirations are apparent from the two companies’ joint work on a generative ai model to expedite the drawn-out and costly nuclear regulation and licensing procedure.