The deal with Kairos Power comes as the tech giant scours the world for power sources to power its data centers.
Google has signed a landmark deal to use electricity generated by small nuclear reactors to power its artificial intelligence (AI) efforts.
Under an agreement with startup Kairos Power announced Monday, the California-based tech giant will help build seven small nuclear reactors capable of generating 500 megawatts of electricity.
The first reactor is expected to be operational by 2030, with others to follow in the coming years.
Michael Terrell, Google’s senior director of energy and climate, said: “To support AI technologies that drive great advances in science, better serve businesses and customers, and drive national competitiveness and economic growth. “The grid needs new sources of power.” Blog post.
“This agreement will help accelerate new technologies to meet our energy needs cleanly and reliably and unlock the full potential of AI for everyone.”
Tech giants like Google, Microsoft and Amazon are taking renewed interest in nuclear energy as they scour the planet for power sources to power the data centers that support the AI boom.
Last month, Microsoft signed a deal with power company Constellation Energy to restore a decommissioned nuclear reactor on Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania, and provide power to the tech giant for the next 20 years.
Amazon earlier this year signed a deal with Houston-based Talen Energy to buy a 1,200-acre (486-hectare) data center campus in Pennsylvania that will be supplied with energy from a nearby nuclear power plant.
According to law firm White & Case, data centers consume about 3% of the world’s electricity, and consumption is expected to increase significantly in the coming years as AI advances.
Proponents believe so-called small modular reactors are a more cost-effective and less time-consuming alternative to large, commercial-scale nuclear reactors.
But the technology is still in its infancy, with only three such reactors known to be in operation around the world: Russia, China, and India.
Mike Laufer, CEO of Kairos Power, said the partnership will allow the company to “accelerate the learning curve.”
“By collaborating with us during the development phase, Google is more than just a customer; they are a partner who deeply understands our innovative approach and the possibilities it brings.”
Kairos Power was founded in 2016 with support from the U.S. Department of Energy.
The California-based company describes its mission as accelerating the development of “innovative nuclear technologies that have the potential to transform the U.S. and international energy landscape.”
