AI Can't Thrive Without This Stock (Hint: It's Not Nvidia)

AI Can't Thrive Without This Stock (Hint: It's Not Nvidia) Scott Levine, The Motley Fool Sat, July 4, 2026 at 7:57 PM GMT+2 4 min read NVDA AAPL MSFT Whether you use large language models like OpenAI's ChatGPT or you're familiar with artificial intelligence (AI) tools like Siri from Apple and Copilot from Microsoft -- or you lean on AI found in various apps and platforms to complete everyday tasks, you're likely well aware of how dominant AI has become in our daily lives. Most investors familiar with the burgeoning field of AI will point to semiconductor companies as pivotal to the industry's growth. Missed Nvidia in 2009?

This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again.  In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia.  For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia.

  Continue » But investors who only recognize semiconductor stocks as AI investment opportunities are missing out. In fact, there's another stock that's critical for AI growth. Image source: Getty Images.

Semiconductor stalwarts often steal the spotlight It goes without saying that semiconductor specialist Nvidia attracts the attention of AI investors. The company's consistent innovation and development of chips -- specifically, graphics processing units (GPUs) -- used in data centers has played a vital role in the industry's accelerating growth. Nvidia's not alone.

Other semiconductor companies, such as Micron Technology , which designs memory and storage solutions, are also benefiting from the growth of the AI industry. The company's high-bandwidth memory products, for example, support faster inference and scaling of agentic AI workflows. While these two companies receive the majority of attention, numerous companies are nipping at their heels.

Investors may recognize some of these competitors, but one company is playing an equally -- if not more -- important role in the AI industry's growth, and it represents a different industry altogether. AI is aiming for the stars with this energy company Data center operators may use extraordinarily advanced GPUs to provide the computing infrastructure for AI applications, but it means little if there's inadequate power to keep the chips humming. That's where Constellation Energy (NASDAQ: CEG) come in.

AI computing demands significant amounts of power. To meet this demand, many data center operators are turning to nuclear energy companies, from advanced nuclear reactor companies to established nuclear energy leaders like Constellation Energy. In 2024, Constellation Energy announced it plans to restart operations at Three Mile Island after signing a 20-year power purchase agreement with Microsoft, which will purchase energy from the nuclear plant to support its data centers in the region.

Story Continues Building on its partnership with Microsoft, Constellation signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Meta Platforms in June 2025 for nuclear power generated at the Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois. Operations at the nuclear facility are expected to resume in 2027, at which point Meta will use the power to support its AI data centers. More recently, Constellation announced that its recently acquired unit, Calpine, signed a 380-megawatt (MW) agreement with CyrusOne, a leading global data center developer and operator, to connect and serve a new data center adjacent to the Freestone Energy Center, a natural gas power plant located in Texas.

This complements a 400-MW power purchase agreement the two companies inked last year for a new data center CyrusOne is developing in Bosque County, Texas. Constellation is benefiting now from AI power demand Advanced nuclear reactor companies have gained interest among AI companies, but they require regulatory approval before they can commence operations. Constellation, conversely, doesn't have to wait.

Its nuclear assets are ready to provide much-needed power to data center operators right now, making Constellation stock an alluring option for AI-focused investors. Should you buy stock in Constellation Energy right now? Before you buy stock in Constellation Energy, consider this: The Motley Fool  Stock Advisor  analyst team just identified what they believe are the  10 best stocks  for investors to buy now… and Constellation Energy wasn't one of them.

 The 10 stocks that made the cut are built for long-term growth and could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when  Netflix  made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation,  you'd have $418,761 !

* Or when  Nvidia  made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation,  you'd have $1,195,804 ! * That performance is why people listen.

With a track record of  beating the S&P 500 by 4x ,  Stock Advisor  offers a distinct advantage. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with  Stock Advisor , and join an investing community built for the long haul. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 4, 2026.

Scott Levine has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Constellation Energy, Meta Platforms, Micron Technology, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .