ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
May 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
July 2026
Nuclear Technology
June 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
NN Asks: How can nuclear energy support the rising energy demand from data centers?
Nicolas Stauff
Data centers power our digital lives—along with many aspects of our economy and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence. Electricity demand is rising rapidly, with the domestic data center load projected to increase from 4 percent to 9 percent of U.S. electricity consumption by 2030. This surge is already reshaping utility planning, grid interconnection queues, and the market for reliable power nationwide.
Nuclear energy is well matched to data center needs, because it provides reliable, 24/7 electricity with stable long-term costs. Modern hyperscale data center campuses can require hundreds of megawatts for IT equipment and cooling, and many applications demand maximum uptime. At the same time, leading hyperscalers have aggressive decarbonization commitments that limit reliance on fossil generation. Data centers also require fiber connectivity, a skilled workforce, and local acceptance—yet they can deliver meaningful tax base and employment impacts, especially when coupled with a major energy project.
X. George Xu
Kliss McNeel
John Bennion
Kevin R. O'Kula
Benjamin R. Betzler
Peter B. Lyons
Dr. David L. AumillerDr. J. Rory KennedyDr. Karen Vierow KirklandDr. David J. KropaczekMs. Evelyn M. Mullen PEProf. Lin ShaoDr. Michael L. Zerkle
Dr. Rita BaranwalProf. Yaron DanonDr. Mitchell FarmerMr. Dennis W. HennekeDr. Kostadin N. IvanovDr. Richard LeeDr. Thomas A. MehlhornDr. Juergen RappDr. Kumar Sridharan
University of New Mexico (Best Section)University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Best Section)University of Wisconsin Madison (Honorable Mention)Missouri University of Science & Technology (Honorable Mention)
Pareez E. Golub
William G. Wabbersen, Jr.
Janelle P. Wharry
Stephen Ted Wood
Rebecca L. Steinman
William H. Hannum
Andrew G. Sowder
Patrick BerryJ. Wesley Hines
David L. RahnRichard T. Wood
Samuel Joseph CopeNathan H. Hart
Rudolph JohannesMaria (Rudy) Konings
Fuel Cycle Facility, Idaho National LaboratoryTokamak Fusion Test Reactor, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Maria Okuniewski
Ahmed Hassanein
ANS Young Members GroupChairman Kristine L. SvinickiLeah Spradley ParksProf. Dan Gabriel CacuciHon. Rita Baranwal
Samir Darbali
Kenan Unlu
Michael Z. Podowski
Fiona E. Rayment
Siegfried S. Hecker
George FlanaganN. Prasad Kadambi
University of Tennessee Knoxville: Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Reactor Design and AnalysisAuthors: Alec Cacheris, Brandon Connor, Will Conroy, Aidan EdensAdvisor: Jason HaywardUniversity of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign: Plasma Sustainment and Tin Particle Mitigation in Extreme Ultraviolet LithographyAuthors: Alp Aktuna, Kaitlyn Butler, Andrew Fink, Dario PaniciAdvisor: David RuzicPurdue University: Design of a Novel Decision-Making Tool for the Analysis of Protective Actions During a Radiological ReleaseAuthors: David Champlin, Mark D’Aloia, Emily Downing, Elizabeth JayeAdvisor: Shripad RevankarUniversity of Sharjah: Design and Experimental Verification of a Gamma Radiogauge to Detect Water Level in Ballast Tanks in Oil PlatformsAuthors: Eslam A. Ahmed, Jwaher A. Alnaqbi, Priyonta RahmanAdvisor: Walid A. MetwallyNorth Carolina State University: Design of an Economical Low-Power Fast Spectrum Molten Chloride ReactorAuthors: Charles Goodman, Lindsay Verrico, Thomas Thompson, Vincent NovellinoAdvisor: Scott Palmtag
Dennis Henneke
Tim CrookMatthew D. Wargon
Lisa Marshall
William E. Burchill