Google Announces Nuclear Power Deal in U.S. to Power AI Data Centers

Google has signed a deal with Kairos Power to buy electricity from a new nuclear plant in Tennessee, marking the first time a U.S. utility will purchase power from an advanced Generation IV reactor.

Under the agreement, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) will purchase 50 megawatts of power from Kairos Power’s Hermes 2 plant in Oak Ridge, which is expected to begin operations in 2030. The electricity will feed into TVA’s grid and help supply Google’s data centers in Montgomery County, Tennessee, and Jackson County, Alabama.

The deal expands on a partnership announced last year between Google and Kairos Power to explore up to 500 megawatts of nuclear power projects in the United States. By teaming up with TVA, the companies say they are creating a model in which energy customers, utilities, and technology developers work together to bring new sources of clean energy to the grid.

Oak Ridge, known for its historic role in nuclear research, will also benefit from new training and workforce programs tied to the project. The University of Tennessee and other regional institutions plan to prepare local workers for jobs as engineers and operators at the facility, reinforcing the city’s position as a center of nuclear innovation.

TVA Chief Executive Don Moul said the project would help develop new nuclear technology without shifting costs onto the utility’s 10 million customers. “Google stepping in and helping shoulder the burden of the cost and risk for first-of-a-kind nuclear projects not only helps Google get to those solutions, but it keeps us from having to burden our customers with development of that technology,” he said.

Google has operated in the Tennessee Valley since 2015 and has worked with TVA to expand access to clean energy in the region. The nuclear project marks its latest step toward securing round-the-clock carbon-free power for its growing data center operations.