Google is diving into nuclear energy with a new agreement to secure power from several small modular reactors (SMRs). The company has partnered with Kairos Power to build and operate seven reactors across the U.S., part of a larger plan to meet its growing power requirements for AI-driven data centers.
The deal promises to bring 500 megawatts of nuclear-generated electricity to the grid before 2035. With the need for clean, reliable energy growing in the tech industry, this could reshape how power is sourced. Google’s desire for 24/7 clean power—driven by the massive energy demands of artificial intelligence—pushes the company to look beyond just wind and solar.
Meeting AI’s Insatiable Appetite for Energy
The surge in AI technology is leading companies to explore more stable power solutions. Google, like others, has seen its energy consumption rise alongside the expansion of data centers needed for advanced computing. In order to offset this demand with zero-carbon options, Google is investing in smaller, modular reactors.
Traditional renewables, like solar and wind, have inherent limitations in terms of consistency. AI applications, however, require uninterrupted, around-the-clock energy—making nuclear power an attractive complement to more intermittent renewables.
The Role of Small Modular Reactors
The tech giant’s arrangement with Kairos Power involves a power purchase agreement (PPA) for energy from seven reactors. These units, set to be operational by the 2030s, promise to provide a stable and carbon-free energy source. Unlike conventional nuclear plants, Kairos’s small reactors rely on molten fluoride salt for cooling, rather than water, and use TRISO fuel, considered to be among the most durable nuclear fuels available.
Each reactor will produce between 50 and 75 megawatts, significantly smaller than traditional nuclear reactors, which often generate upwards of 1,000 megawatts. Google’s energy needs will be directly linked to these reactors, though it’s unclear whether the company’s data centers will pull power directly from the plants or through the broader grid.
While Google’s plan is ambitious, small modular reactors are still an emerging technology. Though they promise to lower costs through mass production, there’s still much uncertainty about their scalability. Kairos has approval for a demonstration reactor, expected to begin operations in Tennessee by 2027. This facility will serve as a testbed for the larger deployment of commercial reactors in the U.S.
If successful, this technology could lower the price of nuclear power, much as wind and solar did in the past decade. For now, Google is betting that its early investment will bring SMRs to market more quickly, offering a reliable alternative for powering the next generation of AI technologies.
Big Tech Goes Nuclear
As data centers increasingly consume substantial amounts of energy, leading technology companies are investigating nuclear power as a potential solution to meet their growing energy demands and mitigate carbon emissions. Microsoft, Amazon, and Google are actively exploring the feasibility of utilizing nuclear energy to support their expanding data infrastructure.
In September 2023, we reported that Microsoft was actively seeking to hire a Principal Program Manager of Nuclear Technology. The new role to emphasize “maturing and implementing a global small modular reactor (SMR) and microreactor energy strategy” to power the company’s data centers. This initiative follows Microsoft’s procurement of Clean Energy Credits (CECs) from Ontario Power Generation (OPG) last year, which included power from traditional nuclear sources.
Additionally, Microsoft’s agreement with Helion Energy reflects its broader strategy to invest in cutting-edge nuclear technologies, including the prospect of nuclear fusion. Helion Energy sets out to construct what could be the world’s first operational fusion power plant, ambitiously expected to produce electricity by 2028.
Further Expansion
Microsoft later appointed Archana “Archie” Manoharan as director of nuclear technologies. Manoharan, an energy industry veteran with over 15 years of experience, joins the tech giant coming from a notable tenure at Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC), where she was instrumental in developing Micro Modular Reactor (MMR) technologies and engaged with the Department of Energy (DOE) loan program applications.
Big Tech has been increasing its interest in nuclear energy as the demands of powering cloud and AI infrastructure grows. Microsoft also struck a deal to source power from the dormant Three Mile Island nuclear plant is a striking example of how these companies are investing in the future of nuclear energy. The plan to bring the plant back online by 2028 is the first attempt to revive a shuttered facility in the U.S.
Amazon, meanwhile, secured a $650 million agreement for a data center that will draw energy from the Susquehanna Nuclear plant, one of the country’s largest facilities. Though Google has long invested in renewable energy sources like solar, it’s now looking into other options, including small modular reactors (SMRs), to power its operations.
Last Updated on November 7, 2024 2:34 pm CET
