Google backing new nuclear reactors to help power its AI data centers
Google is supporting the construction of seven small nuclear reactors in the U.S., marking a unique deal aimed at providing more electricity to meet its AI power needs and boosting nuclear energy in the country, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent, citing The Wall Street Journal.
As part of the agreement, Google will buy power from the reactors, which will be built by the startup Kairos Power. The goal is to add 500 megawatts of nuclear power by the end of the decade.
This is the first agreement in the U.S. to support the commercial construction of small modular reactors, a technology seen as the future of nuclear energy because it allows for faster and cheaper construction compared to larger, custom-built plants.
“The end goal here is 24/7, carbon-free energy,” said Michael Terrell, senior director for energy and climate at Alphabet’s Google. “We feel like in order to meet goals around round-the-clock clean energy, you’re going to need to have technologies that complement wind and solar and lithium-ion storage.”
Big Tech is increasingly turning to nuclear power as energy demand rises due to the growth of AI data centers. Companies like Microsoft and Amazon are making moves in the nuclear sector, and now Google has struck a deal with Kairos Power to build seven small reactors, generating 500 megawatts - enough to power a midsize city or an AI data center.
Kairos plans to deliver these reactors by 2030-2035, using a new design that employs molten fluoride salt as a coolant instead of water. While the exact project location isn’t decided, Google could use the nuclear power to meet its carbon reduction goals.
Kairos will need to get approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, but it already has permission to build a demonstration reactor in Tennessee, expected to start operating in 2027.
The company also has a facility in Albuquerque, N.M., where it’s building test units without nuclear fuel to practice building and running full-size plants. CEO Mike Laufer said these projects help the company control costs, a common issue in the nuclear industry.
Nuclear energy is seen as a potential solution to Big Tech’s growing energy needs, as large-scale projects have slowed due to high costs.
Tech companies like Google began signing power-purchase agreements with renewable energy developers in 2010, helping lower costs. Nuclear advocates believe stable customers could do the same for their industry.
For now, analysts expect more natural gas power plants to be built to meet growing demand from data centers, manufacturing, and transportation.
