ESG Today writes that Amazon led the funding round through the company's Climate Pledge Fund, as it plans to use X-Energy's SMR technology to support the development of a 320 MW nuclear facility in the state of Washington. Amazon pledged to match all the energy used for its global operations with zero-emissions power by 2030.
Small nuclear reactors (SMRs) are nuclear reactors that are smaller compared to traditional nuclear power plants, making it faster and easier to implement them in multiple areas and closer to the grid.
Kevin Miller, Amazon’s Vice President of Global Data Centers, said that "this collaboration between Amazon and X-energy is a significant step toward accelerating advanced nuclear technologies that can help us bring new sources of carbon-free energy to the grid cost-effectively and safely. We need smart solutions that can help us meet growing energy demands while also addressing climate change. X-energy’s technology will be integral in helping achieve this, and is an important step in Amazon’s work to achieve our Climate Pledge commitment to be net-zero by 2040."
X-energy CEO J. Clay Sell added that "to fully realize the opportunities available through artificial intelligence, we must bring clean, safe, and reliable electrons onto the grid with proven technologies that can scale and grow with demand."
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