Google taps next-gen nuclear reactor to power AI data centers by 2030

Google is turning to next-gen nuclear energy to fuel its growing AI needs. The tech giant has partnered with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to secure power from Kairos Power’s Hermes 2 reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, marking the first power purchase agreement of its kind in the US.

Set to go live by 2030, the Hermes 2 demo plant uses molten fluoride salt instead of water as a coolant, enabling low-pressure operation and lower construction costs. Once operational, it will deliver 50MW to the grid serving Google’s Tennessee and Alabama data centers.

The move supports Google’s goal of deploying 500MW of nuclear capacity by 2035, part of its broader clean energy push. Google will also receive clean energy certificates through TVA, allowing it to offset emissions, even as demand from AI increases its carbon footprint.

Oak Ridge, once home to the Manhattan Project, is now leading nuclear’s future.