Tech giants are using long-term direct contracts to secure massive amounts of wind, solar, and nuclear power to fuel their rapidly growing artificial intelligence systems. According to the authors of the newly released report, these companies are increasingly moving toward hourly matching of clean energy while simultaneously planning for onsite natural gas generation to avoid delays in connecting to the public power grid.
“The tech sector remains a major driver of renewables procurement, accounting for around 40% of all corporate renewables power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed globally in 2025.” The report further notes that “as baseload low-emissions technologies, nuclear and geothermal power have gained increasing attention in recent years,” with 45 gigawatts of small modular reactor capacity already contracted by AI-focused firms.
Essentially, the biggest tech firms are no longer relying solely on the standard power grid like an average customer. Instead, they are acting as their own energy brokers, signing private, long-term deals to build or restart specific power plants, including nuclear reactors. They are also trying to ensure that every unit of electricity they use at any given time comes from a carbon-free source, rather than just balancing their total yearly usage with clean energy credits. In some cases, they are even building their own power plants right on their property to get up and running faster.
The report “Key Questions on Energy and AI” was published in April 2026 by the International Energy Agency in Paris, France. Part of the World Energy Outlook Special Report series, the analysis was prepared by a team led by Thomas Spencer and Siddharth Singh under the direction of Laura Cozzi. The publication provides a comprehensive assessment of the rapidly evolving intersection between artificial intelligence, data center power demands, and global energy markets.
