Bees block Meta’s nuclear-powered data center

The discovery of a rare species of bee by environmental regulators has blocked the plans of tech conglomerate Meta to build an artificial intelligence data center powered by nuclear energy-at least temporarily. Numerous media outlets, including Popular Science, have reported that the unnamed species of bee was detected by regulators who were surveying the land designated for the new data center-land that is located next to an unnamed nuclear power plant from which Meta had planned to obtain electricity.

The news story, which reportedly was confirmed by Meta chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg during an "all-hands" business meeting, was originally broke by the Financial Times.

Frustrated: The setback comes on top of other environmental and regulatory complications that have been hampering Meta's intention of become the first company to use nuclear power for an AI data center. Zuckerberg is said to be "frustrated with the lack of nuclear options in the U.S., while China has been embracing nuclear power," according to MSN.

News reports add that Meta is pursuing other options for its nuclear-powered AI goals, as well as the potential of using other carbon-free forms of energy.

Other companies: A number of other companies, including Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, have also been exploring the use of nuclear energy for AI purposes. Nuclear power offers a carbon-free alternative for these companies, which have been struggling to keep their greenhouse gas emissions down as they incorporate energy-hungry AI technologies into their operations.

Amazon subsidiary Amazon Web Services is dealing with its own regulatory problems in its deal with Talen Energy build a data center next to the Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. Google has ordered several small modular reactors from Kairos Power for AI data center use. Microsoft has partnered with Constellation with the intention of sourcing energy from the Crane Clean Energy Center (formerly Three Mile Island-1).

Species speculation: Popular Science offers some interesting speculation regarding the possible bee species and possible site of the undisclosed nuclear power plant by which Meta intends to build its AI data center:

While the specific nuclear plant and bee remains a mystery, Purdue University assistant professor of entomology Brock Harpur believes that the current status of U.S. bee species points to a few possibilities.

"If it's in California, there are now several protected bumble bees," Harpur told Popular Science.

California's only operational nuclear facility is currently Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo County. Given that the process for approving and constructing any new nuclear plant takes years to accomplish, it's possible Meta would have wanted to court Diablo Canyon's owners at PG&E if the company hoped to keep up with its AI competition. Diablo Canyon representatives did not respond to Popular Science at the time of writing. With the majority of U.S. nuclear plants located across the Midwest and East Coast, Harpur speculated that it's also possible the rare pollinator in question is the rusty patched bumble bee, the first bee added to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's endangered species list in 2017.