Thu, 15 May 2025

Thu, 15 May 2025 UK needs more nuclear to power AI, says Amazon boss

The world's largest cloud computing company plans to spend £8bn on new data centres in the UK over the next four years.

* Amazon Web Services (AWS) plans to spend £8bn on new data centres in the UK over 4 years, which will require significant amounts of energy.
* The boss of AWS, Matt Garman, says nuclear power is a "great solution" for powering data centres due to its zero-carbon and reliable nature.
* Nuclear power could meet up to 30% of the UK's electricity needs by 2030, with AWS already partnering with small modular reactor (SMR) firms in the US.
* The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero is also supporting SMRs, which are seen as a potential solution for powering data centres and other energy-hungry sectors like AI.
* However, experts warn that building new nuclear power stations and grid connections will take years, and investors may be hesitant to invest in the technology until it is proven.
* AWS estimates that 52% of businesses are using AI in some way, with a new business adopting it at a rate of one per minute.
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