The Dominion coal burning energy plant is seen in Saint Paul, Virginia, on Feb. 7, 2023.
Mike Belleme | The Washington Put up | Getty Photographs
Dominion Power is speaking with different tech corporations about creating small modular nuclear reactors, after the Virginia utility entered into an settlement with Amazon final month to take a look at advancing the next-generation know-how.
“It’s totally encouraging to see giant energy customers, together with know-how corporations, categorical a willingness to take a position, companion and collaborate to deliver this thrilling base load carbon free know-how into fruition,” Dominion CEO Robert Blue instructed buyers on the corporate’s third-quarter earnings name Friday.
Dominion and Amazon have signed a memorandum of understanding to discover creating a small modular reactor close to the utility’s North Anna nuclear station in Louisa County, Virginia. The small reactor would deliver 300 megawatts of energy to Virginia.
Virginia is likely one of the most nuclear-friendly states within the nation with sturdy bipartisan help for next-generation nuclear initiatives, Blue mentioned.
“It isn’t stunning that our giant prospects would have an interest as they give thought to us as a very good operator of nuclear, to work collectively on possibly advancing these sorts of applied sciences,” the CEO instructed buyers.
“So we have been speaking with Amazon clearly and others,” the CEO mentioned.
Tech corporations are investing in nuclear energy as they hunt for carbon-free, dependable electrical energy to help the rising power wants of synthetic intelligence knowledge facilities. Dominion serves the most important knowledge heart market on the planet, northern Virginia.
Earlier this yr, Amazon purchased an information heart campus from Talen Power that can be powered by the Susquehanna nuclear plant in Pennsylvania. Microsoft has signed an settlement to buy energy from Three Mile Island as Constellation Power goals to restart the plant in 2028. Alphabet‘s Google agreed final month to buy energy from the startup Kairos Energy, a developer of small modular reactors.
Small modular reactors promise to scale back capital prices and pace the deployment of nuclear crops. They’ve a smaller footprint than giant reactors, making them simpler to web site in precept, and promise a less complicated manufacturing course of.
However the know-how has struggled to achieve the business stage. There isn’t a working small modular reactor within the U.S. proper now.
