Google secures power supply to its US data centers

TVA is the first US utility to sign a PPA to purchase electricity from the GEN IV reactor , Kairos Power reported.

Hermes 2 is the first project implemented under Kairos Power's agreement with Google, which is expected to enable the launch of 500 MW of new nuclear capacity by 2035 to support Google's growing demand, the company added in a statement.

To accelerate the supply of clean energy to Google, Kairos Power will increase the power output of Hermes 2 from 28 MW to 50 MW generated by a single reactor , which is scheduled to start operating in 2030.

Through this agreement, Google will receive clean energy from the plant through the TVA system, further decarbonizing its data center operations in Montgomery County, Tennessee, and Jackson County, Alabama, Kairos Power wrote in a news release.

“ To power the future, we must increase the availability of smart, stable energy sources ,” said Amanda Peterson Corio, global director of data center energy at Google. “This collaboration with TVA, Kairos Power, and the Oak Ridge community will accelerate the deployment of innovative nuclear technologies and help meet the needs of our growing digital economy , while ensuring stable, carbon-free energy sources in the electricity system.”

"This collaboration is a key enabler of commercial competitiveness for advanced nuclear power," said Mike Laufer, president and co-founder of Kairos Power. " The modernized Hermes 2 allows us to get closer to the commercial fleet more quickly , and this was made possible through close collaboration with TVA and Google, and the support of the local community."