U.S. data center energy demand reached 31 gigawatts in 2025 and, according to Goldman Sachs, is on track to hit 66 GW by 2027 — a doubling in just two years. Artificial intelligence is fueling this surge, and behind AI lies an increasingly urgent question of electricity supply. Nuclear power has returned to the center of America’s energy debate not for ideological reasons, but out of simple logic: data centers never shut down, and neither do nuclear plants.
The scale of investment involved is hard to overlook. Major tech operators — the so-called hyperscalers — spent $443 billion on computing infrastructure in 2025, with spending projected to exceed $700 billion in 2026. A growing share of that capital is flowing toward nuclear through long-term agreements. Meta signed a 20-year contract with Constellation Energy for 1.1 GW of nuclear power starting in 2027. Microsoft struck a $1.6 billion deal to restart the Three Mile Island plant — offline since 2019 — targeting a 2028 return to the grid. Amazon invested more than $20 billion to transform the Susquehanna plant into an AI campus powered by atomic energy. Google, meanwhile, secured the first U.S. corporate agreement for a fleet of small modular reactors with Kairos Power, targeting 500 MW by 2030.
What is taking shape is a structural partnership between the tech industry and nuclear energy. As the American Nuclear Society has noted, the steady demand from data centers — combined with long-term contracts and direct investment — is improving financing conditions for the sector and accelerating the development of new reactors, including advanced fission designs. SMRs — small modular reactors — are shifting from theoretical option to concrete candidates for powering next-generation campuses. Designers estimate that upcoming hyperscale data centers will consume between 1 and 5 GW each: the equivalent of an entire nuclear plant for a single site.
Public opinion is shifting just as noticeably. A Gallup survey conducted in March 2026 found that 71% of Americans oppose having an AI data center built in their community, with nearly half strongly opposed. By contrast, only 53% object to having a nuclear plant nearby. It is the first time Gallup has included data centers in its polling on this topic, and the result is telling: in the American public’s mind, nuclear has stopped being the primary threat. This generational shift carries real political implications, making it easier for lawmakers to back new projects.
Deloitte has calculated that new nuclear capacity could cover around 10% of the expected increase in data center demand over the next decade, with projected growth estimated between 35 and 62 GW. It is not a complete solution, but it is a meaningful share. In the meantime, Constellation Energy — the largest U.S. nuclear operator, with 21 active reactors — closed 2025 with $25.5 billion in revenue and continues signing contracts with major tech players. The market signal is unambiguous: controlling reliable nuclear energy is a real competitive advantage in this phase of transformation for the American energy system. In the years ahead, as the first SMRs enter commercial operation, the relationship between nuclear and digital infrastructure will only grow closer.
