Google announces first nuclear site to power its data centers
Big Tech is diving deeper into nuclear power, and Google just dropped a major update: it’s announced the site for its first nuclear reactor. As part of its 2024 deal with startup Kairos Power, Google’s Hermes 2 plant will be built in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and will supply 50 megawatts of power through a long-term agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
This Oak Ridge facility is just the start of a bigger 500-megawatt plan featuring multiple small modular reactors (SMRs) that will power Google’s data centers in Montgomery County, Tennessee, and Jackson County, Alabama. Hermes 2 is expected to be up and running by 2030.
TVA CEO Don Moul praised the partnership, saying, “Nuclear is the bedrock of the future of energy security. Google stepping in and helping shoulder the cost and risk for first-of-a-kind nuclear projects not only helps Google get to those solutions, but it keeps us from burdening our customers with development costs.”
The full deal with Kairos Power aims to reach 500 MW by 2035, marking the first-ever corporate agreement to buy nuclear power from SMRs. Financial details haven’t been disclosed yet, but this move cements Google’s push into clean, cutting-edge energy solutions.
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