Microsoft to build nuclear plants for powering AI

[Redaktion]

Microsoft is betting on nuclear power to drive the development of artificial intelligence. Small modular reactors (SMRs) are now set to power the energy-intensive AI. The company is also investing in a project to generate nuclear power through fusion.  

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Microsoft-to-build-nuclear-plants-for-powering-AI.764389.0.html

[Scott]

Good for Microsoft.

Nuclear power has proven to be the safest form of power generation, with the fewest deaths per terawatt produced. Gen 4 reactors are even safer, and can extract energy from existing nuclear "waste" spent fuel rods. Existing reactors only use about 5% of the available energy, leaving "waste" with an extremely long half life. Gen 4 reactors can utilize up to 95% is the available energy in the nuclear fuel, leaving little fuel material left over with a much shorter half life

tldr; Gen 4 nuclear reactors are extremely safe and can use existing nuclear "waste" as fuel that would power the US for 100 years.

[RobertJasiek]

Nuclear power has proven to be the safest form of power generation

How is it safer than, e.g., solar energy?

[Jb]

Nuclear power has proven to be the safest form of power generation

How is it safer than, e.g., solar energy?

Did you miss the "Per terrawatt produced"

Solar dosnt generate as much as you think

[A]

Who wants to bet the cost will skyrocket and ultimately get canned? Nuclear is some of the most expensive ways to generate electricity, if Microsoft hasn't realized it yet, they should ask their AI.

Nuclear power has proven to be the safest form of power generation, with the fewest deaths per terawatt produced.

You are aware nuclear power deaths are undercounted right? Nuclear can kill you not just today but even up to a decade or two into the future. Your cause of death would be cancer and not show up in any statistic

Gen 4 reactors are even safer, and can extract energy from existing nuclear "waste" spent fuel rods. Existing reactors only use about 5% of the available energy, leaving "waste" with an extremely long half life. Gen 4 reactors can utilize up to 95% is the available energy in the nuclear fuel, leaving little fuel material left over with a much shorter half life

tldr; Gen 4 nuclear reactors are extremely safe and can use existing nuclear "waste" as fuel that would power the US for 100 years.

Nothing safer than something that hasn't been commercially proven.

Nuclear power has proven to be the safest form of power generation

How is it safer than, e.g., solar energy?

When you pretend most nuclear deaths don't exist and mark them as cause of death cancer, it is very easy to make anything look safe.

Solar dosnt generate as much as you think

Solar generates way more than you think. In 2022, solar alone generated around half of the amount nuclear generated and will likely soon surpass nuclear

[RobertJasiek]

Did you miss the "Per terrawatt produced"

I have objected the claim for greater safety - not a claim of efficiency.

[Jim Doggett]

Nuclear power has proven to be the safest form of power generation

How is it safer than, e.g., solar energy?

It's not. But so near to solar in safety as to be considered as on par. Thus it's safer than wind, coal, NG, hydro ... and has been producing, on demand, zero carbon energy that's nearly 20% of the grid for many decades. And thank god for it; imagine how bad climate change would be today had nuclear not been chugging along safely since the middle of the last century. I shudder to think of it.

[RobertJasiek]

The nuclear industry advertised with one MCA in 100,000 years per atomic plant. I have also considered the number of atomic plants world-wide and got one MCA every ca. 80 years on average.

Reality has been 4 MCAs (1 Tschernobyl, 3 Fukushima, not counting a double MCA there) in 70 years or one MCA every 17.5 years on average.

In contrast, solar energy has not killed people and not devastated large areas of land.

This is the past and present of atomic plants.

Now please explain about safety of Gen 4 atomic plants including the safety of managing all waste until its decay!

[A]

It's not. But so near to solar in safety as to be considered as on par. Thus it's safer than wind, coal, NG, hydro ... and has been producing, on demand, zero carbon energy that's nearly 20% of the grid for many decades. And thank god for it; imagine how bad climate change would be today had nuclear not been chugging along safely since the middle of the last century. I shudder to think of it.

Again, lots of nuclear deaths are undercounted. Also, nuclear provided at max 17% of world's electricity, but these days provides under 10%. Though note electricity is like 30% of emissions. So 10% of that is like 3%, 20% is 6%. Aka, the contribution nuclear has done for climate change is marginal really

Reality has been 4 MCAs (1 Tschernobyl, 3 Fukushima, not counting a double MCA there) in 70 years or one MCA every 17.5 years on average.

Not just he meltdowns, don't forget the "small leaks" that happen from time to time

[Alphonsokurukuchu]

Lmao that last paragraph was uncalled for. Thermal power plant (Coal) produce as much as radiation(nuclear kind) openly unlike nuclear power plant which have s*** tons of regulations to mitigate that

[Hotz]

I don't see the big issue with building dozens of nuclear power plants per se, but building them only for AI. I mean W.T.F.? Why is everything today AI Hype. Everbody hypes and praises AI and see it as the saviour of the world or what? What the f... is happening in the world?

[Stevebr]

Let's be clear.
Microsoft is only spending mining industry money on this.
No actual Microsoft funds are going into looking at nuclear.
Also, AI is here now. It is powered by wind and solar.

[Stevebr]

Good for Microsoft.

Nuclear power has proven to be the safest form of power generation, with the fewest deaths per terawatt produced. Gen 4 reactors are even safer, and can extract energy from existing nuclear "waste" spent fuel rods. Existing reactors only use about 5% of the available energy, leaving "waste" with an extremely long half life. Gen 4 reactors can utilize up to 95% is the available energy in the nuclear fuel, leaving little fuel material left over with a much shorter half life

tldr; Gen 4 nuclear reactors are extremely safe and can use existing nuclear "waste" as fuel that would power the US for 100 years.

Nuclear is forecast to be THE most expensive power on the planet.
And it is even less reliable than coal.

[Stevebr]

Nuclear power has proven to be the safest form of power generation

How is it safer than, e.g., solar energy?

It's not. But so near to solar in safety as to be considered as on par. Thus it's safer than wind, coal, NG, hydro ... and has been producing, on demand, zero carbon energy that's nearly 20% of the grid for many decades. And thank god for it; imagine how bad climate change would be today had nuclear not been chugging along safely since the middle of the last century. I shudder to think of it.

Simply not true.