Big Tech Wants Nuclear Power But Doesn’t See Role as Investor

Big technology companies including Microsoft Corp. and Google are eager to see more nuclear energy feeding their power-hungry data centers, but are far less willing to provide the capital needed to pay for a growing interest in reactors.

While artificial intelligence and data centers are expected to boost power consumption in the US for the first time in a generation, the companies that need the energy told attendees at the American Nuclear Society’s annual conference that they’re poorly positioned to help develop new reactors.

Building reactors, especially plants using new technologies, comes with high costs and high risk, according to ...