Aug 20, 2025 10:56:00

Google announces new plan to power data centers with next-generation nuclear reactors

Google has taken another step toward purchasing power from next-generation nuclear reactors by announcing a partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), a public power utility, and Kairos Power, an engineering firm. The public-private partnership aims to meet the power needs of Google's data centers with advanced nuclear energy.

Our first advanced nuclear reactor project with Kairos Power and Tennessee Valley Authority

https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/sustainability/google-first-advanced-nuclear-reactor-project-with-kairos-power-and-tennessee-valley-authority/

Google announced the next step in its nuclear energy plans | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/news/761809/nuclear-energy-google-ai-advanced-reactor-kairos-tva-electricity-utility

The announcement follows news that Google will purchase power from a small modular reactor designed by Kairos Power.

Google signs world's first corporate agreement to purchase nuclear energy from Kairos Power to accelerate clean energy transition - GIGAZINE

Google ultimately aims to deploy up to 500MW of nuclear power generation capacity with Kairos Power by 2035, and Hermes 2 will be the first reactor developed under that agreement.

Under the plan, TVA will purchase electricity from Hermes 2, a next-generation nuclear reactor being developed by Kairos Power in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Hermes 2, scheduled to begin operation in 2030, will begin delivering electricity to the regional grid that powers Google's data centers in Tennessee and Alabama. This marks the first power purchase agreement signed by a U.S. utility for Generation IV nuclear reactor technology.

At the time of writing, many of the nuclear reactors operating in the United States use technology developed decades ago, and they struggle to compete on price with cheaper gas-fired power and renewable energy. Kairos Power's next-generation reactor, in contrast, is a type known as

a molten salt reactor . Unlike conventional reactors that use water as a coolant, it uses molten fluoride salts. Because the boiling point of molten salt is much higher than that of water, it allows the reactor to operate at relatively low pressures. This low-pressure design eliminates the need for large, high-pressure containment vessels, reducing the cost of nuclear energy.

Google also says Hermes 2 will help re-establish Oak Ridge as a hub for nuclear innovation, including training workers for high-paying plant operator and engineer jobs through programs developed in partnership with local universities, including the University of Tennessee.

As of 2024, there are 94 nuclear reactors in operation in the United States, with a total capacity of 97,000 MW, supplying approximately 20% of the electricity in the United States.