AI 中文总结
该研究探讨核聚变能否为AI驱动型数据中心提供可持续电源，通过技术经济分析发现其适配数据中心需求，具备成本竞争力与可行性，应优先部署。
AI 中文摘要
本观点文章探讨核聚变是否能为快速增长的AI驱动型数据中心需求提供可规模化、低碳的电源。随着大语言模型、云计算和加密货币挖矿加速电力消耗增长，数据中心预计在未来几十年将占美国及全球电力使用的更大份额，给电网可靠性和脱碳目标带来重大压力。我们通过对容量因子、平准化电力成本、电网互联约束及部署路径的对比分析，评估数据中心负荷曲线与核能（尤其是核聚变）在技术和经济上的匹配度。与间歇性可再生能源不同，核裂变和核聚变提供高容量因子的稳定基荷发电，适合AI训练和推理工作负载所需的持续可靠电力。初步技术经济分析显示，若干同类后期核聚变概念（尤其是磁约束系统）可能在超大规模数据中心应用中具备与稳定可再生能源系统及先进核裂变的成本竞争力。核聚变电厂与数据中心的共址进一步减少输电瓶颈、提升韧性，且符合新兴超大规模供应商的采购策略。我们还评估了近期监管动态，认为核聚变相较于核裂变，其良好的安全特性和更少的废物负担提升了长期社会和政治可行性。结论指出，核聚变是可持续为下一代计算基础设施供电的战略重要途径，应在政策和产业部署规划中优先考虑。
英文摘要
This perspective examines whether nuclear fusion can provide a scalable, low-carbon power source for rapidly growing AI-driven data center demand. As large language models, cloud computing, and cryptocurrency mining accelerate electricity consumption growth, data centers are projected to account for a substantially larger share of U.S. and global electricity use in the coming decades, creating significant pressure on grid reliability and decarbonization goals. We evaluate the technical and economic alignment between data center load profiles and nuclear power, particularly fusion, through a comparative analysis of capacity factors, levelized cost of electricity, grid interconnection constraints, and deployment pathways. Unlike intermittent renewables, nuclear fission and fusion offer high-capacity-factor, firm baseload generation suited to AI training and inference workloads that require continuous, reliable power. Preliminary techno-economic analysis suggests that several Nth-of-a-kind fusion concepts, particularly magnetic confinement systems, may become cost-competitive with firmed renewable systems and advanced fission for hyperscale data center applications. Co-location of fusion plants with data centers further reduces transmission bottlenecks, improves resilience, and aligns with emerging hyperscaler procurement strategies. We also assess recent regulatory developments and argue that fusion's favorable safety profile and reduced waste burden improve its long-term social and political viability relative to fission. We conclude that fusion represents a strategically important pathway for sustainably powering next-generation computing infrastructure and should be prioritized in both policy and industrial deployment planning.
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