Google's first nuclear-powered AI data center will be in Tennessee
What's the story
Google has announced its first nuclear reactor site, as part of a 2024 agreement with start-up Kairos Power. The Hermes 2 plant will be located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. It will provide 50 megawatts of power under a long-term purchase agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The Oak Ridge plant is the first step in a larger project to generate up to 500 megawatts through multiple small modular reactors (SMRs).
Power supply
Nuclear energy for data centers
The nuclear power generated at the Hermes 2 plant will be used to run Google's data centers in Montgomery County, Tennessee, and Jackson County, Alabama. The facility is expected to start operations by 2030. "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... keeps us from having to burden our customers with development of that technology," said TVA CEO Don Moul.
Historic agreement
First-ever corporate agreement for nuclear power purchase
Google's deal with Kairos Power is the first-ever corporate agreement to purchase nuclear power from SMRs. The project is expected to reach its full potential of 500 MW by 2035. However, the financial details of this groundbreaking agreement have not been disclosed yet.