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Microsoft, US National Lab to Use AI to Speed Up Nuclear Power Plant Approvals

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Microsoft and the U.S. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) announced a partnership on July 16 to use AI in new nuclear plant licensing, aiming to drastically shorten the process. The move responds to Trump’s executive order to cut nuclear licensing to 18 months, addressing growing energy demands from AI data centers.

The collaboration will leverage Microsoft’s AI to automatically generate engineering and safety reports required for construction and operation permits. Trained on extensive historical approval cases, the AI can efficiently integrate research data into hundreds of pages of complex applications.

Nelli Babayan, Microsoft’s AI Director, emphasized in an interview that the software is designed to assist humans, with experts reviewing and editing outputs to ensure accuracy—AI acts as a tool, not a replacement for oversight.

This initiative targets a key bottleneck: traditional nuclear licensing can take years due to paperwork. By automating report compilation, the partners hope to meet the 18-month goal while maintaining safety standards.

With AI data centers driving surging energy needs, faster nuclear approvals could boost low-carbon power supply. The partnership signals a push to merge tech innovation with energy infrastructure expansion.