FILE -Construction workers walk to a data center building under construction in Sedenak Tech Park in Johor state of Malaysia, Sept. 27, 2024. Vincent Thian/AP/AP hide caption

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Vincent Thian/AP/AP

BANGKOK, Thailand — Nuclear power is getting a second look in Southeast Asia as countries prepare to meet surging energy demand as they vie for artificial intelligence-focused data centers.

Several Southeast Asian nations are reviving mothballed nuclear plans and setting ambitious targets and nearly half of the region could, if they pursue those goals, have nuclear energy in the 2030s. Even countries without current plans have signaled their interest.

Southeast Asia has never produced a single watt of nuclear energy, despite long-held atomic ambitions.…