Equinix, one of the world’s largest data centre developers and operators, announced on Thursday that it has entered into several advanced nuclear electricity agreements to fuel its rapidly expanding operations. The deals include power purchase agreements for next-generation fission energy and pre-orders for microreactors, marking a significant step in securing sustainable, high-capacity power for AI-driven infrastructure.
Meeting the Energy Demands of AI and Cloud Expansion
As generative AI, cloud computing, and digital services grow at an unprecedented pace, data centres are consuming city-scale amounts of electricity. This surge in demand has spurred a wave of preliminary power deals in the U.S. to tap advanced nuclear energy, a sector that includes small modular reactors (SMRs) and next-generation fission technologies.
Currently, advanced nuclear solutions are not yet commercially available in the U.S., but interest is accelerating. The announcement comes shortly after the U.S. Department of Energy revealed its selection of 11 pilot projects to develop high-tech nuclear reactors, with a goal of having three operational in under a year.
Equinix’s Advanced Nuclear Partnerships
Under its new agreements, Equinix will secure over 1 gigawatt of electricity for its data centres worldwide:
- Oklo (California): Procurement of 500 megawatts from next-generation nuclear fission powerhouses.
- Radiant Nuclear (California): Pre-order for 20 transportable microreactors to support flexible, modular energy needs.
- ULC-Energy (Europe): Future nuclear power purchase agreements.
- Stellaria (Europe): Commitment to source advanced nuclear energy for European data centres
In addition to nuclear, Equinix has inked advanced fuel cell agreements with Bloom Energy (Silicon Valley) to diversify its clean energy mix.
Long-Term Energy Strategy for Data Centres
Raouf Abdel, Executive Vice President of Global Operations at Equinix, told Reuters that these deals are part of a long-term energy strategy, not a short-term fix. The company aims to ensure reliable, sustainable, and scalable power for its data centres as demand for AI and cloud services continues to grow.
