Google Announced The Next Step In Its Nuclear Energy Plans 

Google is 1 measurement person to reaching its atomic ambitions now that it’s moving pinch nationalist powerfulness inferior Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to acquisition energy from a next-generation reactor. It’s nan first powerfulness acquisition statement for technology this advanced that a US inferior has made, according to nan companies. 

The scheme is for TVA to bargain energy from a reactor being developed by engineering institution Kairos Power successful Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Once nan reactor is up and running, expected successful 2030, it should commencement supplying energy to nan section grid that serves Google information centers successful Tennessee and Alabama. 

If they negociate to propulsion this each off, it could thief jumpstart a full caller era for atomic energy

If they negociate to propulsion this each off, it could thief jumpstart a full caller era for atomic power successful nan US. The nation’s existent fleet of atomic reactors uses decades-old exertion that has struggled to compete pinch inexpensive energy from gas-fired powerfulness plants and star and upwind farms. Kairos Power is building 1 of nan first reactors that proponents dream tin usher successful a resurgence of atomic energy, and meet rising energy request from Big Tech and AI.

The announcement follows news that Google would acquisition energy from “multiple” small modular reactors designed by Kairos Power. The Hermes 2 objection plant is nan first reactor being developed nether that agreement. It expands connected nan first Hermes objection reactor that Kairos broke ground connected successful July of past twelvemonth aft receiving nan first construction permit from nan Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a non-water-cooled reactor successful much than half a century. 

Unlike accepted reactors that usage water, Kairos’ exertion uses molten fluoride brackish arsenic a coolant. Since nan reactor’s molten brackish coolant has a overmuch higher boiling constituent than water and doesn’t scope a boil, nan reactor tin operate astatine comparatively debased pressure. A low-pressure reactor for illustration Kairos’ exertion is expected to trim costs for atomic power by getting free of nan request to build large high-pressure containment structures. 

Oak Ridge, Tennessee — wherever Kairos is building Hermes 2 — was erstwhile nan office for nan Manhattan Project. Now, alternatively of lodging accommodation enriching uranium for nan first atomic bombs, Oak Ridge has go a hub for atomic power projects and research. 

Eventually, Google intends to thief Kairos deploy 500 megawatts of caller atomic capacity successful nan US by 2035. For context, America’s 94 operating atomic reactors had a combined capacity of 97,000MW successful 2024 and accounted for conscionable nether 20 percent of nan US energy mix. Hermes 2 is expected to scope a capacity of 50MW. 

Companies that make c pollution-free electricity, for illustration atomic power and renewables, tin make money by trading nan energy they supply to nan powerfulness grid and by selling alleged clean power attributes that are for illustration abstracted certificates representing nan biology benefits of avoiding fossil substance emissions. Google will person cleanable power attributes from nan Hermes 2 works done TVA.

Tech companies pinch ambiance goals often bargain cleanable power attributes to effort to cancel retired nan contamination caused by their energy use. By matching its energy usage pinch those certificates, a institution mightiness declare that it runs connected cleanable power moreover if it’s plugged into a powerfulness grid that still runs connected soiled energy. Extra income from cleanable power attributes is expected to thief developers adhd much c pollution-free powerfulness to nan grid (although investigation has shown that nan environmental benefits are often overestimated). Google’s c emissions roseate again past year arsenic it ramps up its AI offerings.