AI在美国“与民争电”，核电成了硅谷“全村的希望”

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the increasing involvement of AI companies in the energy sector, particularly in nuclear power, as they seek to secure stable and clean energy sources to meet the growing demand driven by AI applications [4][10]. Group 1: AI Companies' Investments in Energy - Meta has signed a long-term power purchase agreement with Vistra to procure electricity from its nuclear power plants, aiming for a potential supply of up to 6.6 GW by 2035 [4][10]. - Other AI giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google are also investing in nuclear energy, with Microsoft reviving retired nuclear plants and Amazon purchasing data centers near nuclear facilities [9][11]. - The trend marks a shift from merely buying electricity to actively participating in energy infrastructure development, as AI companies adapt to the increasing energy demands of their operations [8][10]. Group 2: Energy Demand and Supply Challenges - The demand for electricity in the U.S. is expected to grow at an annual rate of 4.8% over the next decade, primarily driven by data centers and AI applications [5]. - The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that global data center electricity consumption will double to approximately 945 TWh by 2030, with AI being the main driver [6]. - The construction timelines for new power generation and transmission infrastructure lag significantly behind the rapid expansion of AI data centers, leading to potential supply shortages [12][15]. Group 3: Nuclear Energy's Role and Market Dynamics - Nuclear power is being positioned as a key solution to meet the stable energy needs of AI, with significant investments from major tech companies and supportive government policies [11][22]. - The U.S. nuclear power capacity is expected to increase, with projections indicating that AI companies could secure over 10 GW of nuclear capacity by 2035 [11]. - The article highlights the stock performance of nuclear-related companies, which have seen significant gains due to the renewed focus on nuclear energy [11]. Group 4: Infrastructure and Regulatory Challenges - The U.S. faces a significant lag in the construction of transmission infrastructure, which is critical for delivering electricity from new generation sources to high-demand areas [20][21]. - Regulatory changes are being implemented to address the challenges posed by the rapid growth of data centers, including new pricing structures for large electricity users [16][21]. - The article emphasizes that merely investing in new power plants will not resolve the energy crisis without concurrent improvements in transmission infrastructure [18][20].