Google has entered into an agreement with Kairos Power to harness nuclear energy for its AI-driven data centers. The goal is to have the first small nuclear reactor up and running by 2030. With AI demanding ever-greater amounts of energy, Google now joins a growing list of other big tech companies looking to nuclear power as a sustainable solution.
As part of this agreement, Google will purchase energy from seven reactors to be built by the California-based Kairos Power, contributing 500 megawatts of power by the end of the decade. The exact location of these reactors hasn’t been finalized yet, nor has it been decided if Google’s data centers will draw power directly from the plants or through the grid.
Google expects to start using the first reactor within this decade and aims to bring more online by 2035. Details on the financials of the deal remain undisclosed, as well as where the reactors will be built.
Tech companies are increasingly turning to nuclear energy to power their data centers. Michael Terrell, Google’s senior director for energy and climate, emphasized the need for new energy sources to support AI growth, noting that this agreement accelerates clean energy adoption while fueling AI advancements. In a statement, Michael Terrell, a senior director for energy and climate at Google, said:
“The grid needs new electricity sources to support AI technologies. This agreement helps accelerate a new technology to meet energy needs cleanly and reliably, and unlock the full potential of AI for everyone.”
Kairos Power, with support from the Department of Energy, sees the partnership with Google as a pivotal step toward bringing advanced nuclear energy to the market, offering a viable path to decarbonize power grids. Jeff Olson, an executive at Kairos, believes this collaboration will demonstrate both the technical and commercial potential of their reactors, BBC reported.
The project still awaits approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other local agencies before construction can begin. Last year, regulators granted Kairos the first permit in 50 years to build a new type of reactor, which uses molten fluoride salt for cooling—an alternative to traditional water-cooled reactors.
Nuclear energy is gaining traction in the tech industry as it offers a nearly carbon-free source of electricity, available around the clock. With global energy consumption from data centers projected to more than double by the end of the decade, companies are exploring nuclear options to meet their growing energy needs while reducing emissions.
AI data centers require enormous amounts of electricity to operate and keep equipment cool, explained John Moore, an industry editor at TechTarget. With more companies recognizing the value of nuclear power, Google’s move marks a significant step in the tech industry’s shift toward more sustainable energy solutions.
Google is not alone. Constellation Energy also revealed a $1.6 billion initiative to bring the Three Mile Island reactor in Pennsylvania back online by 2028. Microsoft has already signed a 20-year deal to purchase 835 megawatts from this project, which will feed power into the regional grid.
Meanwhile, Amazon is partnering with Talen Energy to eventually supply electricity to an AWS data center campus near another plant in Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, Kairos Power has started building a demonstration reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
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