Google has partnered with nuclear technology company Kairos Power and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to power its data centers in Tennessee and Alabama with nuclear energy.
The agreement is a significant move by a major tech company to secure a reliable, carbon-free power source for its rapidly expanding, energy-intensive artificial intelligence operations.
Under the deal, Kairos Power’s Hermes 2 Plant in Oak Ridge will supply up to 50 megawatts of power to the TVA grid by 2030, which will then serve Google’s facilities. This makes TVA the first utility to purchase electricity from a Generation IV nuclear reactor. The collaboration is an initial phase of a broader agreement between Google and Kairos to deploy a total of 500 megawatts of advanced nuclear capacity by 2035.
Google’s Global Head of Data Center Energy, Amanda Peterson Corio, said, “With this next step, we are creating a three-party solution where energy customers, utilities, and technology developers work together to advance new technologies that can help meet the world’s growing energy needs with reliable, affordable capacity.” This deal not only helps Google meet its ambitious sustainability goals but also serves as a model for other industries grappling with rising power demands.
Backdrop:
The rapid growth of generative AI is driving an unprecedented surge in electricity consumption by data centers across the U.S. This has pushed tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon to seek out new, clean, and reliable energy sources beyond traditional renewables like solar and wind, which are not always available.
The need for constant, “always-on” power has ignited renewed interest in next-generation nuclear energy.
