Could the AI Boom Fuel a Race for Nuclear Power?

The International Atomic Energy Agency expects operating nuclear reactor capacity to more than triple by 2060, as data centres and artificial intelligence drive growing demand for electricity.

The outlook puts nuclear power back at the forefront of discussions over how to secure a stable, low-emissions electricity supply. Expanding digital infrastructure is adding urgency to the search for reliable sources of power.

For data centres, the challenge is not simply obtaining more electricity, but ensuring that it is consistently available. That requirement strengthens the case for nuclear energy as an option for meeting the demands of an increasingly AI-driven economy.

The projected expansion also highlights the link between digital growth and energy planning. As artificial intelligence develops, the electricity needed to support it is becoming a larger part of the debate over future power supplies.

Whether that demand translates into a new race to build reactors remains an open question. The agency’s outlook nevertheless points to a substantially larger role for nuclear power in the decades ahead.