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Update broader impacts: 560 TWh US datacenter demand by 2030 (de Roucy-Rochegonde & Buffard 2025, Ifri), recalculate cost figures

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29
6-broader-impacts/impacts.tex
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@ -9,23 +9,20 @@ transmission losses and eliminate emissions from hydrocarbon-based
alternatives. However, nuclear power economics at this scale demand careful
attention to operating costs.
\oldt{According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Annual
\addedprose{According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Annual
Energy Outlook 2022, advanced nuclear power entering service in 2027 is
projected to cost \$88.24 per megawatt-hour~\cite{eia_lcoe_2022}. Datacenter
electricity demand is projected to reach 1,050 terawatt-hours annually by
2030~\cite{eesi_datacenter_2024}. If this demand were supplied by nuclear
power, the total annual cost of power generation would exceed \$92 billion.
Within this figure, operations and maintenance represents a substantial
component. The EIA estimates that fixed O\&M costs alone account for \$16.15
per megawatt-hour, with additional variable O\&M costs embedded in fuel and
operating expenses~\cite{eia_lcoe_2022}. Combined, O\&M-related costs
represent approximately 23--30\% of the total levelized cost of electricity,
translating to \$21--28 billion annually for projected datacenter demand.}
\newt{[DANE: Verify these figures are current. Check EIA Annual Energy
Outlook 2024/2025 for updated LCOE projections. The \$88.24/MWh,
\$16.15/MWh O\&M, and datacenter demand projections may have newer
sources.]}\dasinline{Check all of this math and update if newer sources
exist.}
projected to cost \$88.24 per megawatt-hour~\cite{eia_lcoe_2022}. In the
United States alone, datacenter electricity consumption could reach 560
terawatt-hours by 2030---up from 4\% to 13\% of total national electricity
consumption~\cite{deroucy_ai_2025}. If this demand were supplied by nuclear
power, the total annual cost of power generation would reach approximately
\$49 billion. Within this figure, operations and maintenance represents a
substantial component. The EIA estimates that fixed O\&M costs alone account
for \$16.15 per megawatt-hour, with additional variable O\&M costs embedded
in fuel and operating expenses~\cite{eia_lcoe_2022}. Combined, O\&M-related
costs represent approximately 23--30\% of the total levelized cost of
electricity, translating to \$11--15 billion annually for projected U.S.
datacenter demand alone.}
This research directly addresses the multi-billion-dollar O\&M cost challenge
through high-assurance autonomous control. Current nuclear operations require

9
references.bib
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@ -431,3 +431,12 @@ To achieve this, we develop a hybrid automaton model of SmAHTR and formally veri
year = {2004},
keywords = {Continuous State, Discrete Transition, Hybrid System, Integral Constraint, Reachability Analysis},
}
@techreport{deroucy_ai_2025,
title = {AI, Data Centers and Energy Demand: Reassessing and Exploring the Trends},
author = {de Roucy-Rochegonde, Laure and Buffard, Adrien},
institution = {French Institute of International Relations (Ifri)},
year = {2025},
type = {Ifri Papers},
isbn = {979-10-373-1000-2}
}