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Nuclear Power Could Be a $10 Trillion Industry That ‘Holds the Answer to the World’s Power Shortages’

William Attardi on September 23, 2025

Nuclear energy represents a $10 trillion potential market opportunity that could hold “the answer to the world’s power shortages,” according to a new report from Bank of America. To meet the growing demand for global electrification stoked by energy-intensive projects like the data centers underpinning the AI arms race, global nuclear capacity will have to triple by 2050, the firm estimated. Investment is expected to reach more than $3 trillion in the next 25 years. Small Modular Reactors, or SMRs are typically designed to produce around 500 megawatts or less of energy compared to a traditional nuclear power plant’s 1,000 MW or more. Unlike traditional nuclear power plants that may take years — if not decades — to bring online, SMRs are cheaper and faster to build, with “modular” parts that can be mass-produced and slotted together on an assembly line.  Nuclear power could be a $10 trillion industry that ‘holds the answer to the world’s power shortages’

Scaling Intelligence: The Exponential Growth of AI’s Power Needs

William Attardi on August 12, 2025

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI)—particularly the training of large-scale “frontier models”—is driving renewed growth in electricity demand. This report analyzes the technical drivers of AI power consumption, projects future demand trajectories for individual training sites and broader AI needs, and highlights energy sector implications. Their analysis found not only that the power demands of AI have increased steadily, but also that they will keep increasing. While training large, advanced AI models currently requires between 100 and 150 megawatts each, they are projected to require more than four gigawatts apiece by 2030.This Product is publicly available at Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI): Scaling Intelligence: The Exponential Growth of AI’s Power Needs

The Push to Triple Global Nuclear Energy by 2050

William Attardi on April 8, 2025

In recent years, the world has faced unprecedented growth in energy demand caused by digitalization, the development of artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and other energy-consuming technologies. In an attempt to handle this challenge, Amazon, Meta, and Google — top stock gainers during previous years — as well as 14 leading banks and financial institutions, energy suppliers, and representatives of heavy industry, have joined forces to achieve the ambitious goal of tripling global nuclear power capacity by 2050. The World Nuclear Association initiated this program — for the first time, companies not directly involved in nuclear energy have publicly supported scaling nuclear power plants to meet their needs.  Powering the Future: The Push to Triple Global Nuclear Energy by 2050 – Programming Insider

NEMA Releases Grid Reliability Study

William Attardi on April 7, 2025

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has released its new study on grid reliability, “A Reliable Grid for an Electric Future”, which focuses on challenges we face with electric demand, consumption and production over the next 25 years. The study highlights U.S. electricity demand outlook to 2050 and outlines technology and policy solutions to meet demand growth. Two key drivers behind the demand will be data centers and EV charging. To prioritize grid reliability and ensure our electrical infrastructure can adapt to surging demand and the integration of renewable energy, we can’t build capacity fast enough. We need to invest in a suite of innovative near-term technologies to meet demand growth and prioritize policy and regulatory certainty to deliver a reliable and affordable energy system. makeitelectric.org Study at: pa-nema-grid-flexibility-study.pdf

2025’s Energy Crossroads: 6 Trends Redefining the Global Power Sector

William Attardi on January 6, 2025

The report prominently highlights new uncertainties embedded in volatile shifts in power demand and supply dynamics, an ever-more urgent need for grid modernization, and the growing precariousness of supply chains amid geopolitical tensions.

    1. Electricity Demand Is Set to Skyrocket. Can the Grid Keep Up?
    2. Energy Security Ever-More Dependent on Electricity.
    3. Pressure Is Mounting to Sustain Adequate Power Supply.
    4. Natural Gas Demand Rising, but Long-Term Role Uncertain.
    5. Supply Chain Risks—the Achilles’ Heel of the Clean Energy Transition.
    6. China Is Now an Undeniable Influential Powerhouse.

Sonal Patel is a POWER senior editor.

2025’s Energy Crossroads: 6 Trends Redefining the Global Power Sector

 

 

That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind – The last time human beings headed moonward was on the Apollo 17 flight that launched Dec. 7, 1972—before any of the Artemis II crew members were born. Today’s crew will not land on the moon—they won’t even orbit the moon. But they will whip around the lunar far side, on a shakedown mission test-flying the Orion spacecraft. This is essential preparatory work for achieving NASA’s bigger lunar goals. Next year there will be another test flight in low Earth orbit during the flight of Artemis III, followed by up to two moon landings by Artemis IV and V in 2028, and annual landings thereafter. Unlike the Apollo program, Artemis aims not just for the so-called flags-and-footprints model of short, one- to three-day stays on the moon, but for a long-term presence at a long-term moon base in the south lunar pole, where deposits of ice can provide drinkable water, breathable oxygen, and oxygen-hydrogen rocket fuel. Very much like the Apollo program, Artemis finds itself in a closely watched moon race, not with the old Soviet Union this time, but with China, which has announced its intention to have astronauts on the moon by 2030. The U.S. is not going it alone this time, however. While Apollo was an entirely American enterprise, Artemis flies under the flag of 60 countries, signatories to the Artemis Accords, an international pact whose members vow to support the peaceful exploration of space and contribute money, modules, and astronauts to the Artemis cause. Artemis II Has Launched. Here’s Everything You Need to Know