The Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP), nestled along a pristine section of California’s coastline, occupies roughly 1,000 acres and is surrounded by an additional 12,000 acres of managed land. This scenic expanse is home to diverse plant and animal life. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) maintains the area’s natural state and facilitates research and exploration, hosting the nation’s longest-running marine biological study.
DCPP’s site management includes Pecho Coast and Point Buchon coastal trails that allow visitors to experience the region’s unique ecological landscape. Through these initiatives, Diablo Canyon remains a significant environmental resource contributing to California’s energy resilience.
Going forward, PG&E will implement Atomic Canyon’s artificial intelligence-driven solutions at the Power Plant, California’s only nuclear energy facility. As the first U.S. nuclear plant to install generative AI technology on-site, this deployment highlights the potential for AI to improve operational efficiency and streamline data management in the nuclear sector, a field known for its stringent regulatory requirements.
Atomic Canyon’s Neutron Enterprise AI solution, which operates on NVIDIA's advanced AI platform, is at the core of this deployment. Designed to streamline document search and retrieval processes, Neutron Enterprise is set to redefine how nuclear power facilities manage vast stores of technical documentation, translating into substantial cost savings and enhanced operational efficiency.
Currently, Power Plant personnel must manage billions of technical documents to meet state and federal regulatory requirements. These documents, stored across multiple systems, require considerable time and resources for retrieval. With Neutron Enterprise, Diablo Canyon’s staff will soon be able to access essential data in seconds—down from hours—enabling them to dedicate more time to mission-critical decision-making and collaborative efforts.
Diablo Canyon supplies nearly 9% of the state’s electricity. It generates 17% of its zero-carbon energy, making it a key asset in meeting California’s clean energy goals. With the California Energy Commission projecting a 43% increase in energy demand over the next 15 years, Diablo Canyon’s role as a reliable, low-carbon energy source is more crucial than ever.
Maureen Zawalick, Vice President of Business and Technical Services at Diablo Canyon, notes, “As the first nuclear power plant to implement Neutron Enterprise with NVIDIA technology, we’re proud to lead in adopting innovations that enhance our operations. Atomic Canyon’s AI solutions will allow faster data retrieval, boosting collaboration while maintaining safe, efficient operations. Having critical information accessible within seconds will empower us to focus on our primary mission—delivering reliable clean energy safely and affordably.”
Neutron Enterprise, powered by the FERMI family of AI models and developed in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is tailored to the specific needs of nuclear energy operators. Using tools like optical character recognition (OCR) and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), this solution can seamlessly integrate with Diablo Canyon’s systems, allowing faster and more accurate data access.
Trey Lauderdale, Founder and CEO of Atomic Canyon, sees this deployment as a significant milestone. “The commercial launch of Neutron Enterprise at Diablo Canyon represents a pivotal moment for the nuclear energy sector. With rising energy demands and support from technology leaders, we are witnessing unprecedented enthusiasm for nuclear energy. This deployment is just the beginning of a transformative era for nuclear plant operations.”
Neutron Enterprise leverages NVIDIA's full-stack AI computing platform, featuring NVIDIA AI Enterprise software, Triton Inference Server software, and Hopper architecture GPUs. These technologies accelerate data processing, allowing the solution to handle billions of data points across various structured and unstructured formats, creating a more efficient workflow within the nuclear sector.
As the nuclear industry adapts to increased demand from sectors like data centers, industrial electrification, and transportation, advancements in AI-powered data management solutions like Neutron Enterprise are essential to meet rigorous regulatory standards and drive efficiency.
