As someone with experience in mission critical and power generation, that future is uncertain and way the fuck out there. I think big techs are just using it as a distraction from the near-term shit show that will absolutely happen, assuming the bubble doesn't pop first. And any thermal power plant, particularly nuke, will need to be tied into the grid. You can't cycle them to match a data center load. These have way more inertia than a diesel gen bank, so stand alone is impractical IMO. You also need to consider the siting issues onsite nukes would have. Show of hands - who would feel comfortable with Facebook installing a nuclear facility within 2 miles of their house? 10 miles? When folks use the term "small modular reactor", they imagine a miniature power plant. But the overall load of an AI data center will be consistent with a traditional nuke plant. SMRs have some advantages, but lose economies of scale if you are packing dozens of them on site. I am not confident they will win out against more traditional designs. I am intrigued by Terra Power's approach, which doesn't swap out fuel. But, again, way the fuck out there and uncertain.
Keep in mind that AI is not the only thing driving the power demand increase. Two other big factors are crypto and electrification (mainly electrical vehicles, but also industrial and heat pumps.) I think when the bubble bursts, you will see a contraction on the power side, but not as desperate. And I think you will see the independent power providers to retire old assets while holding onto the more efficient (energy and cost) newer assets. That may be the silver lining in all this - the new plants being built are just better, environmentally, than the old stuff that will get mothballed once the market contracts. So, yeah, you could swoop up a bunch of 50-year old shit that still has some life in it. The real value buys will be in equipment ordered, but not operating. Electrical gear will be pennies on the dollar on the brown market. Some of it could be used in other industries or in replacements, although much of it is custom.