Google, Amazon and Meta want to triple nuclear capacity by 2050

A coalition of major global companies has pledged to support a tripling of global installed nuclear capacity by 2050. The signatories include tech giants Amazon, Google and Meta.

The commitment, announced at CERAWeek 2025 and reported by ESG News, marks a historic shift in corporate sustainability. Until now, most companies setting internal targets as part of their ESG (environmental, social and governance) commitments have focused primarily on supporting and purchasing renewable energy.

The initiative is sponsored by the World Nuclear Association (WNA) and Urenco, a company specialising in uranium enrichment and other nuclear fuel-cycle services. The pledge was signed by 14 companies classified as “large energy users”. Alongside the tech giants, they include Occidental (Oxy), chemical manufacturers such as Dow, and leading industrial companies such as Allseas and Japan’s IHI Corporation. The commitment follows similar pledges by financial institutions and governments around the world, made during Climate Week NYC in 2023 and at COP28.

Amazon has taken a particularly active stance, investing more than $1 billion in nuclear technologies. Brandon Oyer, director of energy and water for the Americas at Amazon Web Services, has highlighted the importance of nuclear power.

“Accelerating the development of nuclear power will be critical to strengthening our country's security, meeting future energy needs and addressing climate change,” Brandon Oyer said.

Energy demand is likely to rise significantly across a range of sectors, particularly from data centres and AI, which could account for up to 9% of total US electricity consumption by 2030. This is driving tech companies in particular to seek solutions beyond renewable energy. In December 2024, Meta issued a request for proposals to secure up to 4 GW of nuclear power for its data centres by 2030, following a similar move by Microsoft, which signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Constellation Energy.

Nuclear power currently accounts for around 9% of global electricity generation. However, its expansion faces challenges, including limited uranium production, concentrated in Kazakhstan, Canada and Australia, and rising prices, which recently reached a 16-year high amid lower supply and growing demand.

Tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050—from the current 371 GW across 411 reactors—would, some advocates say, boost energy security while significantly reducing carbon emissions. World Nuclear Association Director General Sama Bilbao y León stressed that the initiative is only the beginning and urged more companies to join. Google and Amazon have previously announced investments in small modular reactors.