Hyperscale cloud operators are entering direct power purchase agreements with advanced nuclear energy developers to secure continuous, zero-emission base-load electricity for energy-intensive artificial intelligence workloads.
Grid Interconnection Constraints
Power grid operators are issuing multi-year waiting lists for heavy industrial interconnections. Data center developers are increasingly targeting off-grid microgrid models featuring small modular reactors (SMRs) to bypass transmission grid bottlenecks.
Regulatory Permitting Horizons
While SMR designs offer factory-built modular scalability, regulatory licensing and fuel supply chains for High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) remain critical path risks delaying initial commercial deployment to late this decade.