Microsoft is looking for greener alternatives to power its energy-hungry data centers. Nuclear energy appears to be one of the preferred options.

If Microsoft had its way, nuclear energy would be an option to consider to power energy-hungry data centers. Due to the boom in artificial intelligence, the demand for high-performance and therefore energy-consuming data centers can hardly keep up. The fact that the American technology giant is thinking about nuclear energy is evident from a job vacancy that the company has advertised.

The Verge learns from the job posting that Microsoft is looking for a senior programmer to lead the company’s nuclear energy strategy. In this way, Microsoft wants to cover energy needs, but immediately encounters further stumbling blocks. Data centers require more and more energy, but at the same time they have to fit into the sustainability story.

The rise of AI means that technology players in this space face an even greater challenge. Nuclear energy could be an answer because it does not emit greenhouse gases. What should happen to the radioactive waste and the uranium supply is another question.

Response to global warming

The fact that nuclear energy can be an answer in the fight against global warming has been an issue for a long time. According to the news site, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is also a supporter of this idea. Based on the new post, the company appears to be moving in this direction: According to Microsoft, advanced nuclear reactors can be (part of) the solution to global warming.

The tech giant is looking for someone to “lead project initiatives across all aspects of nuclear energy infrastructure for global growth.” Microsoft is looking for a person who can implement plans for small and modular reactors (SMR), the so-called next-generation reactors. SMRs are simpler and cheaper to build. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission certified an SMR design for the first time in January.