For the first time in 50 years, a Utah nuclear reactor will generate electricity for AI

The University of Utah and Elemental Nuclear Energy Corp. are preparing a first-of-its-kind test using the TRIGA research reactor to power an on-site AI workload.

A compact reverse Brayton Cycle system will convert reactor heat into 2–3 kilowatts of electricity, enough to run a GPU-based task.

The experiment brings together students and faculty from multiple universities and aims to show how nuclear power could help meet future data-center demand.

If successful, the proof of concept could point to a low-carbon way to support the growing energy needs of AI computing.