The Dominion coal burning energy plant is seen in Saint Paul, Virginia, on Feb. 7, 2023.
Mike Belleme | The Washington Publish | Getty Pictures
Dominion Power is speaking with different tech firms about growing small modular nuclear reactors, after the Virginia utility entered into an settlement with Amazon final month to have a look at advancing the next-generation expertise.
“It’s extremely encouraging to see giant energy customers, together with expertise firms, categorical a willingness to speculate, associate and collaborate to convey this thrilling base load carbon free expertise into fruition,” Dominion CEO Robert Blue instructed buyers on the corporate’s third-quarter earnings name Friday.
Dominion and Amazon have signed a memorandum of understanding to discover growing a small modular reactor close to the utility’s North Anna nuclear station in Louisa County, Virginia. The small reactor would convey 300 megawatts of energy to Virginia.
Virginia is among the most nuclear-friendly states within the nation with robust bipartisan assist for next-generation nuclear initiatives, Blue mentioned.
“It is not shocking that our giant clients would have an interest as they give thought to us as an excellent operator of nuclear, to work collectively on perhaps advancing these sorts of applied sciences,” the CEO instructed buyers.
“So we have been speaking with Amazon clearly and others,” the CEO mentioned.
Tech firms are investing in nuclear energy as they hunt for carbon-free, dependable electrical energy to assist the rising power wants of synthetic intelligence knowledge facilities. Dominion serves the biggest knowledge heart market on the earth, northern Virginia.
Earlier this 12 months, Amazon purchased a knowledge heart campus from Talen Power that might be powered by the Susquehanna nuclear plant in Pennsylvania. Microsoft has signed an settlement to buy energy from Three Mile Island as Constellation Power goals to restart the plant in 2028. Alphabet‘s Google agreed final month to buy energy from the startup Kairos Energy, a developer of small modular reactors.
Small modular reactors promise to cut back capital prices and velocity the deployment of nuclear crops. They’ve a smaller footprint than giant reactors, making them simpler to website in precept, and promise a less complicated manufacturing course of.
However the expertise has struggled to achieve the industrial stage. There isn’t any working small modular reactor within the U.S. proper now.
