Big Tech is in the midst of a spending spree on new, creative ways to make energy in the U.S., as AI drives data center power demand through the roof. Start-ups focusing on hydrogen, small nuclear reactors, fusion, and even geothermal are getting hundreds of millions from the likes of OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Microsoft, Google and Amazon. But China is outspending the U.S. in some areas, and the efficiency breakthroughs of DeepSeek have cast doubt on energy needs. CNBC went behind the scenes at two companies creating energy in unusual ways – and talked to the heads of four more – to see how they work, and ask if an AI power crisis could finally help realize the elusive dream of low-carbon, scalable, affordable energy.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:42 Surging 24/7 needs
5:42 Hydrogen hopes
8:19 Nuclear resurgence
13:03 Geothermal and solar
Produced and shot by: Katie Tarasov
Edited by: Matthew Soto
Additional Camera: Magdalena Petrova
Additional Reporting: Jordan Novet
Senior Director of Video: Jeniece Pettitt
Animation: Mallory Brangan
Editorial Support: Erin Black
Additional Footage: ECL, Exowatt, Fervo Energy, Getty Images, Google, Helion, Last Energy, Oklo
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How Google, Microsoft And Amazon Are Racing To Solve The AI Energy Crisis
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