Amazon’s Bid for Nuclear Energy Rejected by Regulators

Online giant wants nuclear power to keep data centers running amid AI processing demands.

Ari Bertenthal

Nov 5, 2024 — 1 min read

Photo of FERC Commissioner Mark Christie speaking at an energy industry forum on Sep. 20, 2023, from X.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2024 – Federal regulators have denied an effort by an Amazon data center to tap nuclear energy from a nearby power plant amid a push by more companies to use nuclear energy to address the high energy demands of artificial intelligence.

Regulators at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rejected Amazon’s effort Friday to provide additional power to its data center in Salem Township, Penn., from the nearby Susquehanna power plant.

FERC regulators decided in a 2-1 decision that the diversion of power was not necessary, despite claims by Amazon and other large tech companies that the energy requirements of AI were large and growing.

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