Bitcoin Miners and AI Giants Turn to Nuclear Power, Fueling US Revival

Training AI models and operating cloud data centers require large-scale, round-the-clock, low-carbon electricity, bringing nuclear power back into consideration for US technology infrastructure. Bitcoin miners were early movers in locating energy-intensive computing facilities next to power plants. University of Cambridge data show that nuclear power's share of Bitcoin mining electricity use rose from about 4% in 2021 to nearly 9% in 2022, underscoring the significance of that early positioning.

A March 13, 2026, report said TeraWulf formed a joint venture with Talen Energy as early as 2021 to build the Nautilus mining facility next to Pennsylvania's Susquehanna nuclear power plant. The technology industry is also moving faster: Constellation signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Microsoft on September 20, 2024, and plans to invest $1.6 billion to restart an 835 MW reactor in 2028.