Mark Zuckerberg's plan to build an AI data center for Meta's company has been somewhat disrupted. A rare species of bee has been found on land earmarked for the project in the US, which has temporarily halted the project.
Zuckerberg planned a deal with an existing nuclear power plant operator. This will enable artificial intelligence (AI) technology to power new data centers without carbon emissions.
The potential deal faced several complications, including environmental and regulatory challenges, people familiar with the matter said.
At a Meta meeting last week, Zuckerberg said the presence of rare bee species in the area next to where the data center would be built would have complicated the project.
This comes at a time when rival companies — Amazon, Google and Microsoft — have signed deals with the nuclear power plant operator. Technology companies are turning to nuclear power to meet increasing power demand in data centers. These companies are competing fiercely in building and training artificial intelligence (AI) models. Because if you want to know something using AI, it can use 10 times more power than Google search.
META is looking at alternative sources of carbon emission free energy.
Today, nuclear power is gaining acceptance as a source of stable and 24-hour continuous power for major technology companies.
However, it costs a lot and takes a long time to build. Western countries' nuclear industries have traditionally depended on Russia for nuclear fuel.
In addition, experts warn that the construction of nuclear power plants poses a risk of accumulation of toxic radioactive waste. If waste is not stored safely, it can cause serious harm to people and the environment.
Microsoft announced last September that it will activate the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania.
And last March, Amazon invested $650 million to set up a data center next to the Susquehanna Steam Electric nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, last month Google said it had ordered six to seven small modular nuclear reactors from US startup Kairos Power. Through this, Google has started the work of setting up a new nuclear power plant as the first technology company.
Mark Zuckerberg needs to prove to investors that investing in artificial intelligence will pay off. He is under a lot of stress for this. Because investments in server and data center management are depleting the company's capital. However, these technologies need to be improved for the modern age.
But if the deal goes through, Meta would be the first company to use nuclear power to power AI.
Sources say Zuckerberg is frustrated with the lack of nuclear power options in the US. Especially when China is using nuclear power extensively. China is building nuclear power plants at a rapid pace, while the United States has commissioned only a handful of plants in the past two decades.
Meta says the company has achieved 'net zero' carbon emissions for its operations since 2020.
References: Ars Technica
