Nuclear Among Technologies to Help Power AI Data Center's Soaring Energy Demands, EPRI Tells Congress

WASHINGTON, June 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Traditional and advanced nuclear generation technologies can play an important role in future energy systems to support the growing needs of artificial intelligence (AI), EPRI Executive Director of AI and Quantum Jeremy Renshaw testified today before a U.S. House Science Subcommittee focused on nuclear solutions for AI infrastructure.

"AI is transforming our economy and society, but its energy demands are growing rapidly and unpredictably," Renshaw explained to the House Science Subcommittee on Energy.

As a collaborative organization, EPRI has identified an opportunity to meet the needs of both the energy and AI industries. In the past year, the institute has led two efforts to address this:

• DCFlex explores how data centers can provide grid services, benefiting utilities, operators, and consumers alike. The initiative has more than 40 members, and just this week it launched its first initial demonstration projects.
  
  
• The Open Power AI Consortium aims to drive the development and deployment of an open AI model tailored for the power sector. It has more than 100 global members, and among the consortium's goals is to create a sandbox environment to develop and validate AI applications, collaborating with utilities, startups, academia, national labs, and technology companies. 

Data centers are perceived as being power hungry, straining the grid, and on an unsustainable growth pattern, but they have the potential to grow in a sustainable fashion using advanced forms of energy generation and utilization, Renshaw explained. This is where advanced nuclear and other energy generation technologies may be able to support data center energy consumption needs, he said.

Specifically, traditional nuclear plants provide safe, reliable, and carbon-free baseload power, while advanced nuclear reactors such as small modular reactors may offer additional capability for flexible operation, supporting high-intensity, variable loads like AI data centers, Renshaw explained. However, nuclear fuel is not without its challenges, with him noting that many advanced nuclear designs have yet to be built, posing the potential for construction delays and cost overruns.

"While there is no perfect energy generation technology, advanced nuclear could provide safe, affordable, reliable, and clean energy as part of the energy system of the future…to support the growing needs of AI and the benefits it can provide to society," Renshaw concluded.

Read a copy of Renshaw's prepared testimony here. To learn more about EPRI's AI work, visit Thought Leadership | Artificial Intelligence

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About EPRI

Founded in 1972, EPRI is the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, with offices around the world. EPRI's trusted experts collaborate with more than 450 companies in 45 countries, driving innovation to ensure the public has clean, safe, reliable, and affordable access to electricity across the globe. Together…shaping the future of energy.^®

SOURCE EPRI