As if the U.S. grids weren’t stressed enough, AI data centers threaten to overwhelm them further with their massive energy demands. To address these challenges, researchers in Utah are entertaining the viability of microreactors—smaller, often portable fission reactors—for powering AI data centers with high energy demands. For now, the project is at a proof-of-concept stage. This summer, the University of Utah in collaboration with energy company Elemental Nuclear will repurpose its TRIGA nuclear reactor to power a mini AI data center. According to an institutional statement on the initiative, a novel power generator attached to the university’s reactor will capture thermal energy to generate around 2 to 3 kilowatts of electricity to power a live AI workload. Strictly speaking, this is far less than the hundreds of megawatts of energy full-scale data centers require.…