Why Tech Giants Are Betting Big on Uranium (And You Should Pay Attention)

If you’ve been following the AI boom, you know data centers are becoming power-hungry monsters. Training ChatGPT-style models? That takes serious electricity. Now here’s the plot twist: Big Tech is ditching fossil fuels and going nuclear—and this could be the uranium play nobody’s talking about yet.

The AI-Nuclear Connection Nobody Expected

Amazon, Google, and Meta aren’t messing around. Meta just locked in a 20-year deal with Constellation Energy to buy 1.1 gigawatts of nuclear power starting 2027. That’s not chump change. The World Nuclear Association backed these giants publicly, pushing for 3x nuclear capacity by 2050.

Why? Because AI models consume way more energy than traditional computing. Data centers running inference 24/7? You need something reliable and clean. Nuclear’s the answer.

Trump’s Executive Orders Just Changed the Game

Here’s where it gets interesting: Trump signed exec orders aiming to quadruple US nuclear capacity from 100GW to 400GW by 2050. Translation? A domestic uranium supply chain that doesn’t rely on imports from Canada or Kazakhstan. This isn’t just policy—it’s a bullish signal wrapped in geopolitics.

But there’s a catch: tariffs are creating uncertainty. Import restrictions on uranium could spike prices or disrupt supply. However, tariff easing could flip the script and provide relief.

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) Are the Dark Horse

Traditional nuclear plants cost a fortune and take forever to build. SMRs? Smaller, cheaper, faster to deploy. The problem: zero operational SMRs currently exist in the US. The White House just pushed for expedited regulatory approvals. Once that floodgate opens, uranium demand could spike fast.

Why Uranium Prices Are About to Pop

Spot prices sitting around $71.5/lb right now—basically a dip. Here’s the math:

• AI data centers demand power NOW
• Trump admin backing nuclear = long-term demand signal
• SMR rollout = new reactor builds = more uranium needed
• Supply constraints already tightening
• Unlike oil, uranium prices barely affect total nuclear power cost (inelastic pricing) = room to run higher without killing demand

The confluence is real: institutional capital flowing in, tech deals locking in, policy support locked in.

The ETF Play

If you’re bullish on uranium but want exposure without picking individual stocks, options exist:

Most liquid: URA (Global X Uranium ETF) — 3.19M avg daily volume, $3.27B AUM, up 9.89% last month

Best for long-term: URAN (Themes Uranium & Nuclear) — lowest fees at 0.35%

Runner-up: URNJ (Sprott Junior Uranium Miners) — up 8.54% last month

The Real Question

You’re watching AI companies and governments bet billions on nuclear energy. Uranium’s the fuel. Prices are historically cheap. The infrastructure play is just beginning. This feels like 2020 when nobody was talking about EV batteries yet.

FYI: Tariff risks exist, and geopolitics could shift. But the fundamental tailwinds—AI power demand + Trump’s nuclear push + SMR acceleration—look solid for the next decade.