Small modular reactors emerge as a cautious medium‑term option for AI

Melissa Palmer

December 1, 2025

Hyperscale AI data centers are pushing beyond grid capacity, and vendors plus governments are betting on small modular reactors to deliver dense, reliable, low-carbon baseload power close to GPU farms.

SMRs promise factory-built standard designs, smaller sites, and potentially competitive LCOE versus renewables-plus-storage or gas+CCS, but they are still early, capital-intensive, and constrained by nuclear licensing, siting, and public acceptance.

SMRs are a serious medium-term option that hinges on first-of-a-kind projects and regulatory streamlining, making this piece a useful signal check on how power will shape AI build-outs.

Source: Can small modular reactors meet data center power demand? | IT Pro

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