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Meta’s nuclear power plans were foiled by bees — yes, bees

Updated: 04-11-2024, 08.41 PM

Meta’s (META) plan to join the tech race for nuclear power has reportedly been foiled by bees.

A rare species of bee was found on land where the company was planning to put a nuclear-powered artificial intelligence data center, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly told employees during an all-hands meeting that the rare bees would further complicate a deal with an existing nuclear power plant to build the data center.

Aside from the bees, the potential deal would face environmental and regulatory challenges, people told the Financial Times. The tech giant is still looking for carbon-free energy deals to support rising energy demand from its AI development, and Zuckerberg is unhappy with the U.S.’ limited nuclear options, people told the publication.

Zuckerberg reportedly told employees that Meta would’ve been the first among its Big Tech peers to have nuclear-powered AI and that it would’ve had the largest nuclear plant for its data centers if the deal had worked out.

Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Quartz.

Meanwhile, Amazon (AMZN), Google (GOOGL), and Microsoft (MSFT) have all recently signed nuclear power deals as tech companies grapple with AI’s massive energy consumption. In October, Amazon signed three agreements “to support the development of nuclear energy projects,” including building “several” small modular reactors (SMRs). These “advanced” nuclear reactors have “a smaller physical footprint, allowing them to be built closer to the grid,” Amazon said.

Google also announced in October that it had signed “the world’s first corporate agreement to purchase nuclear energy” from SMRs developed by California-based Kairos Power.

In September, Microsoft and Constellation Energy (CEG) — the owner of most of the U.S.’ power plants — announced a 20-year power purchase agreement that would restart the Unit 1 reactor on Three Mile Island.

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