Nuclear Energy Redux: How Fission and Fusion Could Power the AI Economy of 2035
The future of technology—including artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous systems, and electric mobility—depends on humanity’s ability to unlock orders of magnitude more energy.
Prudence requires accomplishing this without excessive dependence on fossil fuels.
Solar, wind, tidal, and other renewable technologies play a critical role, but many experts argue that long-term industrial-scale baseload demand will require additional energy sources.
Nuclear power is therefore experiencing a renaissance across two fronts:
- Advanced fission through Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
- Commercial fusion energy development
Together, these technologies have the potential to reshape the global energy landscape.
Small Modular Reactors: Traditional Fission Reimagined
Small Modular Reactors condense conventional nuclear designs into factory-built units generally ranging from 50 MW to 300 MW.
Advantages include:
- Reduced construction risk
- Faster deployment
- Lower capital requirements
- Improved safety systems
- Modular scalability
TerraPower
TerraPower’s Natrium design has attracted major investment and partnerships focused on scalable deployment frameworks.
NuScale Power
NuScale became the first SMR developer to receive U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission certification and continues advancing commercial deployment pathways.
GE Hitachi BWRX-300
The BWRX-300 uses passive safety mechanisms and simplified designs intended to reduce operational complexity and cost.
State-Level Momentum
Several U.S. states have launched advanced nuclear initiatives.
Texas established a multi-billion-dollar Advanced Nuclear Energy Fund while attracting projects from companies such as:
- TerraPower
- X-energy
- Last Energy
- Kairos Power
These efforts are designed to address rapidly growing electricity demand.
Fusion Breakthroughs Could Unlock an Energy Tsunami
Fusion energy seeks to replicate the same process that powers the Sun.
Unlike traditional fission, fusion offers the potential for:
- Extremely abundant fuel supplies
- Minimal long-lived waste
- Carbon-free electricity generation
Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS)
Commonwealth Fusion Systems is developing the SPARC tokamak platform, which aims to demonstrate net energy gain using high-temperature superconducting magnets.
The company also plans to develop the ARC commercial power plant platform during the early 2030s.
Expanding Fusion Ecosystem
More than forty fusion startups are pursuing diverse technical approaches, including:
- TAE Technologies
- General Fusion
- Tokamak Energy
Private capital, government laboratories, and strategic corporate partnerships continue accelerating research and commercialization efforts.
Key Players in the Nuclear Energy Renaissance
Fission Leaders
- TerraPower (Natrium)
- NuScale Power (VOYGR)
- GE Hitachi (BWRX-300)
- X-energy (Xe-100)
Fusion Leaders
- Commonwealth Fusion Systems
- TAE Technologies
- General Fusion
- Tokamak Energy
Disrupting the Fossil Fuel Ecosystem
Advanced nuclear technologies offer several characteristics attractive to modern power grids:
- Carbon-free baseload generation
- Flexible dispatch capabilities
- Grid stabilization support
- Integration with renewable energy sources
SMRs may enable the repurposing of retired coal infrastructure while supporting industrial facilities, data centers, and manufacturing operations.
Fusion, if successfully commercialized, could dramatically alter the economics of electricity generation by providing abundant clean energy at scale.
Why This Matters for AI and Industry
The rapid growth of AI infrastructure is increasing pressure on power grids worldwide.
Future technologies likely to depend on abundant energy include:
- Artificial intelligence
- Autonomous vehicles
- Robotics
- Industrial automation
- Advanced manufacturing
- Electrified transportation
Organizations that secure long-term access to reliable energy may gain significant strategic advantages.
The Bottom Line
The next phase of technological progress will not be constrained primarily by algorithms.
It will be constrained by energy.
Nuclear energy—through both advanced fission and emerging fusion technologies—may become one of the foundational pillars supporting the AI economy, industrial electrification, and global decarbonization efforts.
The race to build the future increasingly looks like a race to build abundant energy.