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Head Of Congressional AI Task Force Urges Regulators To Allow Data Centers At Nuclear Power Plants

Dec 09, 2024 - bisnow.com
A month after U.S. energy regulators stalled a planned Amazon data center adjacent to a Pennsylvania nuclear power plant, Rep. Jay Obernolte urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to remove barriers preventing nuclear power plants from selling electricity directly to data centers. Obernolte, co-chair of the congressional Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, framed the issue as critical for national security and maintaining the U.S.'s leading position in AI. His letter followed a FERC ruling that blocked a power agreement between Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Talen Energy, which would have allowed AWS to build data centers powered by electricity from the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station. FERC's decision was based on concerns about grid reliability and consumer costs.

The AWS-Talen deal was the first of its kind and served as a model for other utilities and data center firms seeking similar arrangements to address power shortages for AI infrastructure. FERC's decision to block the agreement aimed to prevent setting a precedent for such projects before understanding their full implications. The impact of this decision has extended beyond AWS's plans, affecting other potential projects across the U.S. Constellation Energy, Dominion Energy, and Vistra are among the companies exploring similar co-location arrangements with nuclear facilities in Maryland, Connecticut, Texas, and Ohio.

Key takeaways:

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  • U.S. energy regulators have stalled a planned Amazon data center adjacent to a Pennsylvania nuclear power plant, raising concerns about grid reliability and consumer costs.
  • Rep. Jay Obernolte is urging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to remove regulatory barriers preventing nuclear power plants from selling electricity directly to data centers, framing it as a national security issue.
  • The FERC decision has broader implications, as it was the first agreement of its kind and could have set a precedent for similar projects across the U.S.
  • Other energy companies, like Constellation Energy and Dominion Energy, are exploring similar data center projects adjacent to nuclear facilities in different states.
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