Last week, OpenAI reportedly pitched the White House on constructing 5 GW datacenters. But what does that really mean in practical terms?
Here are some eye-opening figures:
• 5 GW of power is slightly greater than the energy output of the four Westinghouse AP1000s at the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant.
• One 5 GW data center would demand more energy than all existing data centers in Northern Virginia combined. As of March 2024, this region—responsible for over a third of the world’s internet traffic—requires just 3.6 GW across 25 million square feet of infrastructure.
The sheer size and energy demand of these proposed mega data centers have far-reaching implications. Assuming they can be sited and powered, they could reshape energy consumption patterns and land use, offering substantial growth opportunities for investors in data infrastructure, renewable energy, grid modernization and AI-driven technologies. Nuclear is the only energy source that has the innate characteristics such as reliability and scalability sought out by data-center developers. The land density of nuclear (Figure 1) is thousands of times greater than that of intermittent renewables and the energy density of the fuel is similarly greater to that of fossil fuels. Microsoft and Oracle’s recent announcements with Constellation and an undisclosed SMR developer are just the beginning of a series coming to nuclear.
Join Enverus Intelligence® Research for the webinar, “Gas-Fired Generation | Power’s Burning Question,” and discover how natural gas will play a key role in powering the future, even as its role evolves amid the transition to renewable energy.
Research Highlights
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- Secondary Basin Well Watching – The Best of the Rest Where are the most prolific recent wells outside of primary unconventional L48 basins?
- Gas Basis and Transport – New Markets, New Pipelines and More Volatility Expected – Understanding gas pipeline capacity, pricing and basis for key regions.
- AI Is Next… Are We? – The tech industry’s growth demands reliable, clean power, with gas, nuclear and geothermal as key players, highlighting the need for strategic energy infrastructure and policy.
About Enverus Intelligence®| Research
Enverus Intelligence® | Research, Inc. (EIR) is a subsidiary of Enverus that publishes energy-sector research focused on the oil, natural gas, power and renewable industries. EIR publishes reports including asset and company valuations, resource assessments, technical evaluations, and macro-economic forecasts and helps make intelligent connections for energy industry participants, service companies and capital providers worldwide. Click here to learn more.
