Data centers, the things that physically store and share applications and data, require an enormous amount of energy to run. These giant storage units, responsible for 1-1.5% of global electricity consumption, have traditionally relied on renewable sources like solar and wind but it seems as though renewable energy just won’t be able to keep up with the demand required moving forward.
It’s a somewhat less attractive investment when compared against other renewable sources. Nuclear is orders of magnitude more expensive than solar per kwh now that prices have fallen
Yes, though I think the point here is that solar spectacularly loses on MW/SF compared to a nuclear facility. Data centers consume an unbelieveable amount of power. Being able to locate them closer to population centers is a huge benefit to them operationally. Modern nuclear reactors are hugely expensive, but the proposal here is for small, limited scope facilities. Expensive, yes, but this is an excellent use case for them and would do wonders at piloting their broader acceptance / proven tech.
Are there flaws? Plenty. But at its core it’s not a bad idea.
Land use and energy storage requirements beg to differ