Google will build a small modular nuclear reactor in Tennessee

Google signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Kairos Power and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to acquire energy from a small modular nuclear reactor to cover the consumption needs of the data centres that the tech giant has in Tennessee and Alabama.

The agreement will allow building Kairos Power’s Hermes 2 Plant in Oak Ridge, which will have a capacity of 50 megawatts (MW) of constant supply. This is particularly important for data centres, as they need a stable and reliable electric connection.

Kairos Power’s Hermes 2 Demonstration Plant will help re-establish Oak Ridge as a nuclear innovation hub, including through new programs developed in partnership with the University of Tennessee and other local universities to grow the local workforce.

Hermes 2 will be the first deployment of the agreement that will enable up to 500 MW of new nuclear capacity, estimated to be online by 2035. Kairos Power explained that the energy generated will be fed into the TVA grid, from which Google obtains the electricity required for the facilities.  

The subsidiary of Alphabet has signed several PPAs recently, focusing on renewable energy sources and low-carbon intensity technologies, which include nuclear, wind, and solar energy.

In 2024, the tech giant reduced emissions related to energy generation by 12% compared to 2023, and signed contracts to obtain 8 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy. The goal is to achieve a net-zero operation.