AI Sparks Life Into Left-for-Dead Energy Sector: Liam Denning

Artificial intelligence is shining its aura on one of the most benighted corners of the stock-market. While two AI hardware firms top the S&P 500 leaderboard so far this year — Super Micro Computer Inc. and Nvidia Corp. — a close third is Constellation Energy Corp., which runs the sort of nuclear power plants that were cutting edge maybe half a century ago.

While human intelligence needs regular doses of water, snacks and sleep, the artificial kind devours electricity pretty much non-stop. Forecasts of US datacenters’ power consumption tripling by the end of the decade have sparked life into the stocks of independent power producers, or IPPs, ...