There is a huge variety of proposals when it comes to what’s next for nuclear. Some companies are building smaller reactors, which they say will make it easier to finance new projects and complete them on time.
Other companies are focusing on making changes to key technical parts of the reactors by using alternative fuels or coolants that help expel heat from the reactor core. These changes could help reactors generate power more efficiently and safely.
Kairos Power was the first US company to receive approval to begin construction on a next generation reactor for power generation. China is emerging as a major center of nuclear development, with the country’s national nuclear company reportedly working on several next-generation reactors.
hyperscale data center
It’s not what I would call climate technology, but I’ve spent much of the last year reporting on the climate and environmental impacts of AI, and the AI boom is deeply intertwined with climate and energy.
Data centers are not new, but we are seeing a wave of large centers being proposed and built to support the rise of AI. Some of these facilities require a gigawatt or more of power – that’s like the output of an entire conventional nuclear power plant, just for one data center.
(This seems like a good time to mention that our Breakthrough Technologies list doesn’t just highlight technology that we think will have a direct positive impact on the world. I think back to our 2023 list, which largely included mass-market military drones.)
There’s no denying that new, supersized data centers are a significant force driving electricity demand, sparking major public reaction, and emerging as a critical part of our new global infrastructure.
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