According to Axios, OpenAI is in late-stage talks to buy electricity from fusion start-up Helion Energy, which counts ChatGPT-maker CEO Sam Altman as one of its backers.
The proposed framework would give OpenAI a guaranteed slice of Helion’s future output starting at 12.5 per cent, which is equivalent to around 5-gigawatts by 2030, potentially rising to 50-gigawatts by 2035.
Axios reported Altman stepped down from his position as chair of Helion’s board of directors and has recused himself from negotiations.
The financial terms and length of the deal are not available.
The news agency reported Altman has a sizeable stake in the fusion energy start-up, but the exact percentage is unknown. The OpenAI CEO led Helion’s $500 million funding round in 2021.
It raised $425 million last year from investors, including Altman as well as Peter Theil-owned Mithril Capital, Lightspeed and SoftBank Vision Fund 2, among others.
Demand for electricity is rising as large tech companies and AI players build new data centres and train AI models, but there is growing concern the data centres are putting a strain on local electricity grids.
Fusion power does not have the fuel or natural resource constraints of other energy sources, meaning it could become a transformational and clean energy source.
Source: Mobile World Live
Image Credit: OpenAI
