Surging AI Power Demands Mean SMRs Can’t Fail, US Energy Official SaysSurging AI Power Demands Mean SMRs Can’t Fail, US Energy Official Says

(Bloomberg) -- Surging electricity demand for artificial intelligence and data centers means next-generation nuclear power “can’t fail,” according to a top US Energy Department official. 

David Crane, undersecretary for infrastructure at the department, said he’s now “very bullish” on emerging designs for so-called small modular reactors. That’s a significant shift from his earlier stance, when “I didn’t really see” a case for using the technology. 

The comments underscore the need for new power sources to meet demand from AI, electric vehicles and factories after about a decade of flat electricity usage. This demand is spurring interest in SMRs, said Crane.

“It’s in the can’t-fail category,” Crane said Tuesday (June 4) at the American Council on Renewable Energy Finance Forum event in New York. “As far as I can tell, it’s the only technology that can give you the concentration of zero-carbon power.”