Britain needs to invest in a new generation of nuclear power stations if it wants to play a key role in the AI revolution, a think tank warns today.
The new technology requires massive amounts of 'clean' power that cannot be provided by wind, solar and other forms of renewables in large enough quantities, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change claims.
In a new report it says the UK needs to keep up with the likes of the United States, South Korea, Canada, France and Japan, which have all committed to new nuclear programmes.
"A new nuclear age is beginning. But whether it continues will depend entirely on whether leaders are willing to move past false alarm and ideology, making judgement based upon fact-based assessment of risk," said report lead author Tone Langengen.
The report argues that energy-related CO2 emissions would have been 6 per cent lower last year - equivalent to 450 million fewer passenger vehicles - 'if the world had not turned away from nuclear'.
Microsoft revealed it was reopening a reactor at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania to power a data centre as part of its commitment to be 'carbon negative' by 2030.
"Whether it is the new nuclear renaissance or other technologies that will help fight climate change, the world cannot afford to let unfounded public concern stand in the way of progress," Langengen added.
The TBI set out recommendations including creating 'AI growth zones' with simplified planning for new nuclear power. There should also be faster approval for off-the-shelf reactor designs from trusted foreign allies.
Three Mile Island is set to become functional again by 2028 as part of a 20-year agreement announced by Constellation Energy. Unit 1 will be reactivated after being shut down in 2019 for economic reasons.
"Google revealed in October that it had signed a deal with California-based nuclear firm Kairos Power to build new reactors supplying its US data centres with energy," Google stated regarding their efforts towards sustainability goals.