Google has unveiled plans to open the way to the adoption of nuclear energy for the data center. At the Data Center World 2025 in Washington DC, the company explained some of the details of its partnership with Kairos Power to develop up to 500 MW of nuclear energy through small modular reactors (SMR). Supported by a 300 million dollars grant from the advanced demonstration program for reactors of the US Energy Ministry, this initiative aims at initial deployment by 2030, with a new expansion of the site until 2035.
“The breed to supply AI -based data centers is accelerated and the securing of sustainable and reliable energy is more critical than ever,” said Lucia Tian, head of clean energy and decarbonization at Google. “This project is a facet of Google's goal to be carbon -free on a 24 x 7 x 365 basis by matching our electricity request with clean sources.”
In recent years, the company has been an important buyer of solar wind and energy resources, but the energy requirements of the latest AI -generating applications have changed the game. Google needs more power than ever and develops a large portfolio of clean energy assets; This now includes nuclear energy as well as geothermal power.
“This strategy is much more profitable and reliable because we have to work more than variable wind and solar,” said Tian.
Anyone who wishes to build a whole new large -scale nuclear power plant can expect to wait until a decade before undergoing the advantages in terms of available energy production. SMRs are considered a way to reduce delay. The first units should go into operation by the end of the decade.
Nuclear energy increases in public acceptance
Tian approached the abrupt on the perception of the public concerning nuclear energy. Over the past two years, everything has changed, she said. Until 2022, nuclear power plants were either closed or planned for downgrading; From now on, poor installations such as the Palisades of Michigan and Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania are being taken over. In addition, some of these applicant installations will also welcome new SMRs.
“Support for new nuclear energy has increased in the United States in the past two years,” said Tian. “These communities where there is active production of nuclear energy is incredibly favorable. However, some countries accept less nuclear energy, and we must be sensitive to local needs. ”
SEE: Google, Amazon, meta-objective of nuclear capacity massively increasingly global by 2050
Partner for nuclear success
Tian highlighted the importance of partnership in the development of nuclear energy resources. Google is a Cloud, Search, AI expert and many other facets of it but no energy production; Consequently, the company's partnership with Kairos Power in the development of SMR.
Jeff Olson, vice-president of business and finance development at Kairos Power, said Google catalyzed the nuclear energy rebirth and SMR in the United States. His company develops and markets a 150 MW reactor; The modules of this size can be grouped to create larger generation blocks.
The initial SMR conceptions of a scale version have undergone in -depth tests. Once finished, a full -size unit will be built and validated before Kairos enters the marketing phase.
“We thought that public services would be our first customers, but Google came with a strong desire to accelerate development,” said Olson.
SMR larger for data centers
Kairos Power thought that 150 MW would be more than enough for the data centers market, but customers like Google are now talking about 1 GW data centers. This need can be satisfied, he said, combining a series of 150 MW SMR units on a site.
“The more units are, the larger the economies of scale,” said Olson. “The data center inspires nuclear innovation and AI creates demand.”
