Welcome to episode 282 of The Cloud Pod, where the forecast is always cloudy! This week Justin, Ryan, and Matthew are happy to be joining you in the clouds versus watching election information. This week we’re talking nuclear energy, AI Search tools, and all things Pre:Invent. Welcome, and thanks for joining us!

• The Cloud Pod Would Much Rather Record This Show Than Watch the Election Results
• IBM Comes for Your AI Dollars
• AWS Goes Limitless with the PostgreSQL Possibilities
• It is Upon Us the Pre-Invent Period and AWS Does Not Disappoint
• Amazon Loses Its Nuclear Superhero

01:13 Energy regulators scrutinizing data center use reject Amazon bid

• Late Friday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rejected a proposal that would have allowed an Amazon data center to co-locate with an existing nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania.
• The commission voted it down 2-1
• FERC chairman Willie Phillips said that the commission should encourage the development of data centers and semiconductor manufacturing as national security and economic development priorities.
• Commissioners Mark Christie and Lindsay See (both R) voted to reject the proposal, while Davis Rosner and Judy Change (D) didn’t vote.
• Talen Energy, who signed the agreement, drew challenges from neighboring utilities AEP and Exelon – who challenged the novel arrangement, arguing it would unfairly shift costs of running the broader grid to other consumers.
• FERC’s order found the region’s grid operator, PJM Interconnection, failed to show why the proposal was necessary and prove such a deal would be limited to the Susquehanna plant given the widespread interest in placing data centers next to power plants.
• Talen said the ruling would have a chilling effect on the region’s economic development and it is weighing its options.
• Will see what happens with Microsoft/Constellation energies plan to restart 3-Mile Island.

3:21 Justin – “It’s sort of sad because I kind like the idea of nuclear power to solve a bunch of problems, but it has to be done in the right way for sure.”

04:12 IT’S EARNINGS TIME!

04:22 IBM revenue misses, but execs say AI will drive future growth

• • This week, we have an additional company we don’t typically talk about… but IBM kicked off this quarter’s earning seasons which indicated that the AI dividend has yet to pay off for big infrastructure players.
  • Earnings were 2.30 a share, excluding non-recurring items, and were eight cents better than consensus estimates.
  • Although rev...