Google has partnered with Kairos Power to use small nuclear reactors to create the power it needs to run its AI data centers.
Google said that by partnering with Kairos Power, it will have its first reactor before 2030 and more by 2035.
AI tech needs a new power source
Tech companies are increasingly looking towards nuclear energy to power the massive data centers that fuel AI.
At a United Nations Climate Change Conference last year, the U.S. joined a coalition of countries aiming to triple their nuclear energy capacity by 2050 and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Michael Terrell, Google`s senior director for energy and climate, said:
- “The grid needs new electricity sources to support AI technologies.”
- “This agreement helps accelerate a new technology to meet energy needs cleanly and reliably and unlock the full potential of AI for everyone.”
Kairos executive Jeff Olson said the deal with Google is essential for advancing nuclear energy as it meets the growing demand:
- “It is important to accelerate the commercialization of advanced nuclear energy by demonstrating the technical and market viability of a solution critical to decarbonizing power grids.”
Neither Google nor Kairos shared details about the deal’s value or the nuclear plant’s location.
The deal still requires approval from local agencies and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission before moving forward.
A new type of reactor
In 2023, U.S. nuclear regulators granted Kairos Power a permit (the first in fifty years) to build a new type of nuclear reactor.
Kairos Power focuses on developing smaller nuclear reactors similar to traditional ones, which use molten fluoride salt as a coolant instead of seawater.
The company began building a demonstration reactor in Tennessee last July.
Energy consumption to double in a decade
Nuclear power, which is almost carbon-free and provides electricity 24/7, is becoming more attractive to the tech industry as it tries to reduce emissions while using more energy.
John Moore, Editor at TechTarget, said AI data centers require vast amounts of electricity to power their operations and cool their equipment.
- “These data centers are equipped with specialized hardware that requires lots of power and generates lots of heat,” John said.
According to Goldman Sachs, global energy consumption by data centers will double by the decade’s end.
Microsoft and Amazon go nuclear, too
In September, Microsoft agreed to restart operations at the notorious Three Mile Island nuclear plant, where America’s most disastrous nuclear accident took place in 1979.
Last March, Amazon announced plans to purchase a nuclear-powered data center in Pennsylvania State.
