Google is building a small nuclear reactor in Tennessee to power its data centers
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Google has entered into a collaboration with Kairos Power and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to support the development of a small modular nuclear reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to power its infrastucture expansion.
The company announced the Hermes 2 facility is expected to begin operations in 2030, and generate up to 50 megawatts of electricity for the TVA grid.
This will help power Google’s data centers in Tennessee and Alabama, which are central to the company’s growing needs for the likes of cloud hosting, cloud storage, and AI tools.
Partnership model for advanced nuclear power
The arrangement takes the form of a power purchase agreement, in which TVA will buy electricity from Kairos Power and deliver the clean energy attributes to Google.
The partners describe this as the first purchase of electricity from a Generation IV reactor by a US utility.
While the project provides only a fraction of the 500 megawatts Google has outlined as a longer-term goal, it is being framed as a proof of concept for how utilities, technology companies, and developers might share costs and risks in future deployments.
Unlike solar and wind, which depend on weather conditions, nuclear power can provide continuous energy.
“Nuclear is the bedrock of the future of energy security. Google stepping in and helping shoulder the burden of the cost and risk for first-of-a-kind nuclear projects… it’s not just good for Google. It’s good for TVA’s 10 million customers. It’s good for the United States,” said Don Moul, CEO of TVA.
However, nuclear construction has historically faced delays and cost overruns, raising questions about whether this new generation of reactors will truly deliver affordable and reliable power at scale.
The project is also being presented as a way to boost economic activity in Oak Ridge, a city long tied to nuclear research and development.
Training programs with the University of Tennessee and other local institutions are being planned to prepare workers for technical roles at the Hermes 2 plant.
While the initiative promises high-paying jobs and renewed investment, critics may ask whether reliance on experimental nuclear designs is the most effective strategy compared to expanding proven renewable generation.
Nevertheless, this development has attracted interest and comments from industry experts, government agencies, and politicians.
“To power the future, we need to grow the availability of smart, firm energy sources… This collaboration with TVA, Kairos Power, and the Oak Ridge community will accelerate the deployment of innovative nuclear technologies.” said Amanda Peterson Corio, Google’s Global Head of Data Center Energy.
“This collaboration is an important enabler to making advanced nuclear energy commercially competitive,” said Mike Laufer, Kairos Power CEO and co-founder.
“Tennessee’s legacy of nuclear innovation positions the Volunteer State to lead America’s energy dominance and drive continued economic growth with safe, clean, and reliable nuclear energy,” said Governor Bill Lee.
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