Amazon Is Going Nuclear, Joining Big Tech in Energy Race [Video]

Amazon’s path to net-zero carbon continues as the company announced Wednesday that it has agreed “to support the development” of several nuclear energy projects.

“Nuclear is a safe source of carbon-free energy that can help power our operations and meet the growing demands of our customers while helping us progress toward our Climate Pledge commitment to be net-zero carbon across our operations by 2040,” said Matt Garman, CEO of Amazon Web Services (AWS), in a statement.

Related: Will It Take Nuclear Power to Sustain AI? Microsoft Is Betting on It.

The new agreement includes building advanced SMRs (small modular reactors) in Washington State, which will be “constructed, owned, and operated by Energy Northwest” with the capability of generating enough energy to power the equivalent of 770,000 homes. It’s also expected to create at least 1,000 temporary construction jobs, according to Energy Northwest.

What Is an SMR?

An SMR is an advanced “small modular reactor” with a power …