TLDR: Alphabet (Google) has finalized a landmark agreement with Kairos Power and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to procure 50 megawatts of electricity from the advanced Generation IV Hermes 2 nuclear reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This initiative, driven by the escalating power demands of AI operations, will supply clean energy to Google’s data centers in Montgomery County, Tennessee, and Jackson County, Alabama, starting in 2030. The deal is the initial phase of a broader plan to secure 500 MW of advanced nuclear capacity by 2035.
Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has announced a groundbreaking partnership with Kairos Power and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to power its burgeoning artificial intelligence (AI) data centers with advanced nuclear energy. The agreement, a first of its kind in the U.S. utility sector for a Generation IV reactor, will see 50 megawatts (MW) of electricity from Kairos Power’s Hermes 2 plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, integrated into the TVA grid by 2030. This energy will directly support Google’s data centers located in Montgomery County, Tennessee, and Jackson County, Alabama .
The decision underscores the immense and rapidly growing energy requirements of AI technologies. Industry projections indicate a significant surge in U.S. electricity demand, with a GridStrategies report forecasting a 15.8% rise by 2029, largely propelled by data centers, manufacturing, and electrification. The International Energy Agency further estimates a 130% increase in U.S. data center electricity consumption between 2024 and 2030 .
Amanda Peterson Corio, Google’s global head of data center energy, emphasized the strategic importance of this collaboration. “To power the future, we need to grow the availability of smart, firm energy sources,” she stated. “This collaboration with TVA, Kairos Power, and the Oak Ridge community will accelerate the deployment of innovative nuclear technologies and help support the needs of our growing digital economy while also bringing firm carbon-free energy to the electricity system.” Corio also highlighted that “lessons from the development and operation of the Hermes 2 plant will help drive down the cost of future reactors, improving the economics of clean firm power generation in the TVA region and beyond” .
Kairos Power CEO and co-founder Mike Laufer echoed this sentiment, noting that the “re-envisioned Hermes 2 gets us closer to the commercial fleet sooner and could only be made possible by close collaboration with TVA and Google, and a supportive local community.” He added, “We are excited to grow Kairos Power’s operations in Oak Ridge while writing a new chapter in the region’s distinguished nuclear history” .
Don Moul, TVA president and CEO, underscored the broader implications of the deal: “Energy security is national security, and electricity is the strategic commodity that is the building block for AI and our nation’s economic prosperity.” He further stated, “The world is looking for American leadership, and this first-of-a-kind agreement is the start of an innovative way of doing business. By developing a technology, a supply chain, and a delivery model that can build an industry to unleash American energy, we can attract and support companies like Google and help America win the AI race” .
This initial 50 MW deployment is part of a larger commitment by Google and Kairos Power to bring 500 MW of advanced nuclear capacity online by 2035. To meet this ambitious goal, Kairos Power has redesigned the Hermes 2 reactor to expand its output from an initially planned 28 MW to 50 MW using a single reactor . Google will receive clean energy attributes from the plant through TVA’s system, aiding in the decarbonization of its regional operations and supporting future expansion .
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Google is not alone in its pursuit of nuclear energy to power its data centers. Microsoft previously entered a 20-year power purchase agreement with Constellation to potentially restart Three Mile Island’s Unit 1 reactor in Pennsylvania. Amazon also announced three nuclear-focused deals in October with Energy Northwest, X-energy, and Dominion Energy . The reliability, high energy density, and low carbon emissions of nuclear power make it an attractive solution for the continuous, high-demand power needs of AI systems .
