The growing strain on the global electric infrastructure, driven by the explosive growth of AI and supply instability, is sparking a broad-based nuclear renaissance.
As AI models scale and data center operations expand, U.S. electricity demand growth is indeed expected to double or even triple in the coming years. This surge is putting immense pressure on existing grid infrastructure, and nuclear energy is increasingly seen as a critical solution to meet this challenge and as an attractive alternative to renewable energies. In terms of reliability, a nuclear plant is capable of operating at full capacity 93% of the time according to the EIA, compared to 35% for wind and 25% for solar. And it can deliver a massive energy output, estimated at 3x to 4x the output of a wind or solar project.
Most countries, led by the U.S., are then rediscovering the strategic and environmental benefits of nuclear energy. In response, many are introducing policies aimed at streamlining the licensing process and reducing regulatory barriers for the deployment of new reactors.
This policy shift comes as the nuclear industry enters a phase of technological transformation, driven by the emergence of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). These next-generation reactors are designed to address many of the historical challenges associated with nuclear: safety concerns, long delays, and persistent cost overruns.
SMRs offer a number of key advantages including:
Crucially, both SMRs and conventional nuclear reactors are attracting strong support from technology giants looking to secure long-term, stable power supplies—and, ideally, co-locate data centers with power plants to ensure maximum energy efficiency and grid independence.
This wave of infrastructure investment is poised to benefit the entire nuclear and uranium ecosystem. First, it is likely to drive booming order growth for nuclear engineering firms and equipment suppliers. In addition to rising volumes, these players should benefit from favorable pricing dynamics, thanks to constrained industry capacity—a combination that points to significant margin expansion potential.
At the same time, uranium demand is set to face upward pressure, as reactivated plants and newly commissioned facilities come online sooner than anticipated. This early surge in demand could tighten supply dynamics and support a sustained rally in uranium pricing.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated yesterday at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s annual conference that the United States is “furiously at work” to rebuild its nuclear fuel supply chain and called for a significant increase in strategic uranium reserves. Data from the IAEA highlight the urgency: U.S. uranium inventories cover only about 14 months…
Cameco announced last night a cut to its production guidance for the McArthur River mine, one of the world’s largest and highest-grade uranium deposits. Output is now expected at 14–15 million lbs in 2025, down from the previous 18 million lbs target, as operations were hampered by development delays and the timing of ground freezing.…
The largest U.S. electric capacity auction, run by grid operator PJM— which serves roughly 20% of the U.S. population — cleared at $329.17/MW-day last night. That’s a 22% increase over last year’s record and well above market expectations. PJM’s capacity auctions determine how much electric utilities will be paid in exchange for committing to provide…
Constellation Energy, the largest operator of nuclear power plants in the U.S., announced yesterday that its Three Mile Island / Crane nuclear facility in Pennsylvania—shut down in 2019 for economic reasons—will restart operations in 2027, nearly a year ahead of schedule. As a reminder, Constellation disclosed in September last year that it would bring the…
After Amazon and Microsoft last year, Meta has become the third hyperscaler to secure a long-term nuclear power supply agreement to support its AI infrastructure. Starting in June 2027, Meta will purchase the full output of Constellation Energy’s Clinton nuclear plant in Illinois—a facility that had previously been slated for closure—under a 20-year deal. This…
On Friday, President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders designed to reignite the U.S. nuclear energy sector. These orders instruct the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to streamline the licensing process and cut regulatory red tape for new reactors and power plants—a timely move as U.S. electricity demand is forecast to reach record highs in…
In line with President Trump’s policy, the US House of Representatives yesterday passed a budget bill that basically kills the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—a cornerstone of the Biden administration’s clean energy agenda and a key source of subsidies for renewable energy projects over the past few years. While the original draft proposed a gradual phase-out…
Synapse Invest was founded in 2019 with the mission of offering a diverse range of thematic investment products centered around innovation. Our journey began with the launch of our first Actively Managed Certificates (AMCs) in the closing weeks of 2019, and we are now proud to celebrate more than five years of consistent growth and…
After Microsoft, that is financing the restart of an idle reactor, Amazon and Google just made the headlines by announcing that they both will bet on a very promising technology, small modular reactors or SMRs. The former (which also acquired earlier this year a data center powered by an adjacent nuclear power plant) will partner…
On Friday, US electric utility Constellation announced the restart of its Crane nuclear plant, that had been shut down in 2019 for economic reasons, along with a 20-year power supply agreement with Microsoft. The Tech giant will then secure 835 MW of power over 20 years to supply its data centers in the PJM Interconnection,…
Just months after the US Senate passed the ADVANCED Act, a landmark legislation designed to ease the permitting process for nuclear reactors and reduce costs and construction times (see our previous report), various US administrations are moving fast on the nuclear topic. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) indeed exempted Kairos Power from a full environmental…
If one needed further evidence that we are heading towards a growing supply/demand imbalance for uranium, last week’s news flow provided it. Kazatompron, Kazakhstan’s state-owned uranium miner (and the world’s largest), announced (again) a cut to its 2025 production forecast due to continued sulphuric acid shortages and delays in construction works at new deposits. The company…
The US gave a major boost to its nuclear industry yesterday as the Senate passed the ADVANCED (Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy) Act with overwhelming bipartisan support, and as the DoE announced it would fund up to $900 million to support the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs). The ADVANCED Act is a…
The last couple of weeks have been highly supportive for the nuclear industry, confirming that companies in the uranium/nuclear ecosystem are entering into a new era of growth. It is indeed becoming evident that AI is going to drive electricity demand to new heights with the US Department of Energy undersecretary for infrastructure recently commenting…
The disruption caused by Generative AI is not only deeply impacting the Tech industry and (soon) almost any economic activity but it will also have geopolitical, environmental, and energetic consequences. Since the early 2000s, cloud computing has rapidly grown to become the dominant IT platform, delivering any type of digital and/or communication service around the…
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