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Amazon and Google Support Pledge to Triple Nuclear Energy Capacity by 2050

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Amazon and Google are among the major companies that signed a pledge on Wednesday to help achieve the goal of tripling the world’s nuclear energy capacity by 2050. This commitment was announced at the CERAWeek conference in Houston. The pledge also garnered support from companies like Occidental (a shale company) and Dow (a chemical giant).

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright highlighted the significance of the pledge, stating, “We are truly at the beginning of a new industry,” during an interview at the conference. According to the World Nuclear Association (WNA), which facilitated the pledge, support for this initiative is expected to grow in the coming months, with additional backing anticipated from sectors like maritime, aviation, and oil and gas. This commitment builds upon the vow made by over 30 countries in 2023 to triple nuclear capacity by 2050.

Nuclear energy currently provides 9% of the world’s electricity from 439 power reactors, according to WNA data. It has also gained traction as a solution for energy-intensive data centers, with Big Tech companies already signing billion-dollar deals with utilities. In addition, uranium prices reached a 16-year high in January last year due to supply uncertainties and rising demand, further emphasizing the growing importance of nuclear power.

However, uranium supply remains constrained as global production is concentrated in just Kazakhstan, Canada, and Australia, which together accounted for around two-thirds of global output in 2022. As of early 2025, the world had 411 nuclear reactors in operation, with a combined capacity of 371 gigawatts.

Amazon, having invested over $1 billion in nuclear energy projects, is exploring small modular reactors as part of its strategy. Other companies, including Meta and Google, are also looking into this emerging technology.

Trump, DeepSeek in Focus as Nations Gather at Paris AI Summit

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The Paris AI Summit on February 10-11 is set to bring together nearly 100 countries to discuss the safe development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI), with a particular spotlight on U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration and China’s DeepSeek. This summit follows last year’s meeting at Bletchley Park in England, expanding the conversation globally.

France, alongside India, is hosting the event with a focus on areas where it holds a competitive edge: open-source systems and clean energy for data centers. The summit will also address labor disruptions and AI market sovereignty. Top executives, including those from Alphabet and Microsoft, are expected to attend, with keynotes such as one from OpenAI’s Sam Altman, the CEO of ChatGPT.

The U.S. delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance, faces challenges in reaching consensus with China and other nations due to ongoing political tensions. Since President Trump’s administration began in January, several executive orders have reversed Biden’s approach, including pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement and revisiting AI export controls to counter China.

A major point of discussion will be the creation of a non-binding communiqué on AI stewardship, which, if agreed upon, would mark significant progress. While the French presidency has emphasized that the summit will give a voice to all nations, it is clear that discussions will be influenced by the competition between the U.S. and China, particularly in AI development.

The summit will not focus on new regulations but will instead discuss frameworks for AI policy, aiming to balance innovation with safety. European nations, especially France, are keen to avoid regulations that might slow down the advancement of their national AI companies.

A notable highlight is the inclusion of China’s DeepSeek, which has recently disrupted the global AI scene by offering models that compete with U.S. companies at a fraction of the cost. This has bolstered the argument that the global race for AI supremacy remains open, as DeepSeek challenges established leaders in human-like reasoning technology.

At the summit, philanthropies and businesses are expected to commit substantial capital—starting with $500 million and potentially rising to $2.5 billion over five years—to fund public-interest AI projects across the globe. Additionally, energy concerns will be discussed, with France positioning its clean nuclear energy as a potential solution to the high power demands of AI models.

 

Former SpaceX Engineer Launches Startup to End U.S. Dependency on Russian Uranium Fuel

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Scott Nolan, a former SpaceX engineer, has founded General Matter, a San Francisco-based startup aiming to break Russia’s monopoly on high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) and produce it at scale in the United States. The company plans to meet the growing demand for HALEU, a type of uranium enriched between 5% and 20%, which is essential for next-generation nuclear reactors, such as small modular reactors (SMRs), expected to be pivotal by the 2030s.

Aims to Revolutionize U.S. Nuclear Fuel Production

HALEU is key for advanced reactors, offering more efficient energy production than the standard uranium fuel used in current reactors. Companies like Amazon are exploring the use of such reactors to power data centers, underscoring the fuel’s importance. Nolan’s vision for General Matter includes not only ramping up domestic HALEU production but also significantly reducing its costs.

Nolan aims to halve HALEU enrichment costs in the long term, which are currently elusive but estimated between $25,000 and $35,000 per kilogram. This price is largely driven by Russian production, creating vulnerabilities for U.S. energy security.

U.S. Government Support and Industry Competition

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded initial contracts to General Matter and three other companies in October as part of a push to kickstart domestic HALEU production. These contracts are part of a $2.7 billion initiative, pending Congressional approval. However, General Matter faces stiff competition from established companies like Urenco USA, Orano USA, and Centrus Energy, which already have infrastructure and expertise in uranium production.

Challenges and Controversy

While HALEU holds potential for revolutionizing the nuclear energy sector, critics have raised concerns about its enriched levels, fearing potential military uses. Nolan emphasized that his company would rely on regulators to set safe enrichment levels, likely between 10% and 12%.

SpaceX-Inspired Approach to Technology

Nolan’s approach to HALEU production takes inspiration from his time at SpaceX, where technological innovation and cost-cutting were central. At General Matter, he plans to combine nuclear industry experience with the agility of the technology sector to rethink uranium production methods. The startup’s approach could include novel techniques like lasers, in addition to the more traditional high-speed centrifuges used for uranium enrichment.