It is a spectacular agreement to say the least which has just been sealed between Oklo, Sam Altman’s startup, specializing in nuclear energy, and Switch Inc, an American data center operator. Concretely, Oklo must build reactors with a total capacity of 12 gigawatts, which would be enough to power 7.6 million homes in New York State. Explanations.
A technology still in development
Questioned by the Financial TimesJacob DeWitte, co-founder and CEO of Oklo, doesn’t beat around the bush. According to him, this contract is worth several billion dollars. But we cannot see it that way because it does not include any binding conditions of realization.
And for good reason, the technology used by Sam Altman’s company is not yet ready and it will still take several years to come to fruition (if that is the case). Remember that Oklo is developing small modular reactors with a capacity of at least 300 megawatts, or a third of current standard-sized installations.
With the rise of generative AI, tech giants are trying to meet growing energy needs and are turning to these nuclear solutions, spending billions of dollars.
But in fact, couldn’t we focus on renewable energies which are already working? Defending his business, Jacob DeWitte is skeptical:
We are entering a new world due to the scale of energy demand. You can’t do it with renewables because you would need a lot of gas backup capacity and a lot of people want a clean solution.
Other analysts interviewed by the British daily are more skeptical about the promises of these nuclear startups. This is the case of Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear security for the Union of Concerned Scientists: “These agreements do not appear to correspond to the type of serious, substantial and lasting financial commitments – on the order of billions of dollars over several decades – that would be necessary to fully realize these speculative nuclear projects.”
Sam Altman’s bet
As a reminder, Sam Altman has been defending this project for years, which he considers inseparable from the efforts deployed in generative AI. Shortly before the company’s IPO, he emphasized: “The two most important ingredients for a promising future are abundance of intelligence and energy. »
His startup intends to target customers, such as data centers or military bases, who wish to increase their energy capacity without having access to the electricity grid. Its solution would also be a boon for companies that want to decarbonize their production.
