aggregate data (Opens in a new tab) announced a new nuclear-powered data center in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Data centers typically require massive amounts of energy to operate, though server Improvements that have seen good efficiency and power bumps in recent years, the industry remains under pressure to clear emissions as the world prepares toward net zero.
In turn, the company is opening its flagship 475 MW data center, which it calls Susquehanna.
Susquehanna Nuclear Data Center
The first phase is complete, which means that the 48 MW and 300,000 square foot data center is available for lease.
The total area that the 475-megawatt campus will occupy is set to be 12,000 acres, and is billed as the first of its kind in the United States.
Cumulus is carbon-neutral, low-cost, reliable energy powered by nearby Talen Energy’s Susquehanna nuclear power generation facility.
The new data centers are slated to be connected directly to the 2.5-gigawatt power plants, which Cumulus says will unlock significant value for its customers “without the mediation of legacy electrical transmission and distribution facilities.”
What this means is that it will be able to offer “the most attractive energy rate in the United States,” along with the opportunity for companies to reduce carbon emissions.
Besides the obvious benefits for businesses, the company hopes to create jobs that “support the family” and offer technology training, among other things, to nearby Pennsylvania companies. It also hopes to continue expanding such projects into other areas in which Talen Energy operates.
While there are obvious concerns about the use of nuclear power, this is at least a significant step forward in decarbonizing data centers.