EU data-centre expansion fuels renewed push for nuclear power, JP Morgan reports
JP Morgan says the EU's drive to increase data-centre capacity is accelerating investment in nuclear energy to meet rising AI power needs.
JP Morgan’s analysis links the EU’s ambition to expand data-centre capacity with a renewed emphasis on nuclear energy. European Commission forecasts suggest data-centre electricity consumption could rise from around 70 TWh to about 115 TWh by 2030, while JP Morgan expects an additional 89 TWh of demand, driven largely by Iberia and the Nordics. Nuclear output in the EU has increased for two straight years, now providing a significant share of electricity.
Major technology firms are locking in nuclear power: Google signed a 22-year deal with Finland’s Fortum, Amazon is investing in X-energy’s small modular reactors, and Microsoft partnered with Helion Energy for fusion-derived electricity. The EU also introduced a common rating scheme for data-centres to improve transparency on water and energy consumption, aiming to secure reliable, low-carbon power for AI workloads and strengthen energy sovereignty.
Why it matters
Growing AI demand could reshape Europe's energy mix, boosting nuclear projects and affecting climate and security policies.
How this story developed
- Aug 4 Texas governor pauses new data center approvals pending power grid audit
- Sep 2 Trump labeled communities that reject data‑center projects “backwards and poor” and warned that China would welcome such resistance.
- Sep 4 The article warns that Republican campaigns are blaming China for opposition to AI data centers, while voters across party lines are increasingly hostile to the technology.
- Sep 12 The House is set to debate the Ratepayer Protection Act, a measure aimed at easing power costs for data centers and appealing to voters concerned about AI-driven utility bills. In the Senate, a crypto market-structure proposal is expected to face a tough vote amid ethics disputes involving Donald Trump, while the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act looks likely to advance with strong backing from donors. Lawmakers are racing to pass these initiatives before a three-week Senate session ends and the midterm elections arrive.
- Sep 13 Jon Husted introduced legislation to shield consumers from rising electricity bills linked to data‑center demand.
- Sep 15 The Global Dialogue on AI Governance has now highlighted AI’s impact on voter registration and results management.
- Sep 17 A bipartisan House bill to shift data‑center infrastructure and energy costs to tech firms has been introduced.
- Sep 21 Senator John Fetterman publicly endorsed President Trump’s data‑center push, aligning with the administration despite broad opposition.
- Sep 22 A new Data & Society report finds that more than 60% of Americans, especially Pennsylvanians, oppose new data-center construction, citing cost, health and environmental worries.
- Sep 24 Google will send a prototype satellite carrying its Tensor Processing Units into low Earth orbit next week to assess AI hardware performance in space.
- Sep 24 Trade unions have voiced support for the projects, citing promised jobs.
- Sep 26 The Global Dialogue on AI Governance highlighted the omission of election‑system AI from its agenda.
- Sep 27 The satellite will now fly as part of a rideshare mission rather than a dedicated launch.
- Sep 28 Martin Heinrich introduced the GRID Savings Act after blocking the Ratepayer Protection Act.
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