Latest news with #KairosPower
The Hindu
30 minutes ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Google announces Tennessee as site for small modular nuclear reactor
Google, with Kairos Power, has selected Tennessee as the site of an advanced nuclear power plant that is expected to supply electricity to the Big Tech company's data centres in the U.S. southeast starting in 2030, the companies said on Monday. Big Tech is requiring massive amounts of electricity to scale up technologies like generative artificial intelligence in energy-intensive data centres. Those record energy needs are driving U.S. power consumption to new highs and propelling the development of fresh power sources like next-generation nuclear energy. The Tennessee reactor is the first to be deployed as part of Google's corporate agreement, announced last year, to buy nuclear energy from multiple small modular reactors. The deal would support 500 megawatts of advanced nuclear capacity, which is enough to power about 350,000 homes, to be developed by California-based nuclear company Kairos. The 50-gigawatt small modular nuclear power plant will be built in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, under a long-term power purchase agreement with utility Tennessee Valley Authority, to deliver electricity to Google data centres locally and in the state of Alabama. 'This collaboration with TVA, Kairos Power, and the Oak Ridge community will accelerate the deployment of innovative nuclear technologies and help support the needs of our growing digital economy while also bringing firm carbon-free energy to the electricity system," said Google's Amanda Peterson Corio. The project marks the first time a U.S. utility has signed a power purchase agreement for so-called generation IV nuclear power, which is generally seen as the most sustainable and safe form of nuclear power technologies in development, the companies said. 'The deployment of advanced nuclear reactors is essential to U.S. AI dominance and energy leadership," U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement announcing the site selection. 'The Department of Energy has assisted Kairos Power with overcoming technical, operational, and regulatory challenges as a participant in the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, and DOE will continue to help accelerate the next American nuclear renaissance." Currently, there are no commercially available advanced nuclear power plants in the U.S.
Washington Post
6 hours ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Utility to buy power from advanced nuclear plant to fuel Tennessee and Alabama Google data centers
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The nation's largest public utility plans to buy power from an upcoming advanced nuclear plant to help fuel Google data centers in Tennessee and Alabama, according to a deal announced Monday. The Tennessee Valley Authority, California-based Kairos Power and Google say the agreement will deliver up to 50 megawatts of energy to the federal utility's grid that powers the data centers. The announcement comes at a time when tech companies expect to require a massive amount of power to fuel data centers behind artificial intelligence, and some of them have been especially interested in new nuclear production. President Donald Trump released a plan last month to boost AI and build data centers across the U.S. and in May signed executive orders aimed at boosting nuclear power . TVA says it is the first U.S. utility to sign a power purchase agreement to buy electricity from a next-generation nuclear reactor. It would rely on the Hermes 2 reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which is scheduled to begin operations in 2030. The agreement will power data centers in Montgomery County, Tennessee, and Jackson County, Alabama, and support future growth in the region, the news release said. Google will receive clean energy credits associated with the plant. 'This collaboration with TVA, Kairos Power, and the Oak Ridge community will accelerate the deployment of innovative nuclear technologies and help support the needs of our growing digital economy while also bringing firm carbon-free energy to the electricity system,' Amanda Peterson Corio, Google's global head of data center energy, said in the news release. Hermes 2 is the first reactor under a deal between Kairos Power and Google to bring on 500 megawatts of new, advanced nuclear power production to help cover the tech giant's increased demand for electricity. The new kind of nuclear reactor uses fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor technology. It uses molten salt as a coolant. Another test version of the plant in Oak Ridge, named Hermes, does not produce electricity. The Hermes 2 plant received a construction permit from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in November. The plant still has more steps to complete, including an application for an operating license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Many next-generation reactors, including Kairos' Hermes 2, will use high-assay low-enriched uranium. The fuel is enriched to a higher level than traditional large nuclear reactors use, allowing the newer reactors to run longer and more efficiently, sit on smaller footprints and produce less waste, according to the Department of Energy . There's little of it made in the United States right now. But companies are investing to ramp up production , including in Oak Ridge. The Tennessee Valley Authority powers 10 million people across seven southern states.
The Independent
7 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Utility to buy power from advanced nuclear plant to fuel Tennessee and Alabama Google data centers
The nation's largest public utility plans to buy power from an upcoming advanced nuclear plant to help fuel Google data centers in Tennessee and Alabama, according to a deal announced Monday. The Tennessee Valley Authority, California-based Kairos Power and Google say the agreement will deliver up to 50 megawatts of energy to the federal utility's grid that powers the data centers. The announcement comes at a time when tech companies expect to require a massive amount of power to fuel data centers behind artificial intelligence, and some of them have been especially interested in new nuclear production. President Donald Trump released a plan last month to boost AI and build data centers across the U.S. and in May signed executive orders aimed at boosting nuclear power. TVA says it is the first U.S. utility to sign a power purchase agreement to buy electricity from a next-generation nuclear reactor. It would rely on the Hermes 2 reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which is scheduled to begin operations in 2030. The agreement will power data centers in Montgomery County, Tennessee, and Jackson County, Alabama, and support future growth in the region, the news release said. Google will receive clean energy credits associated with the plant. 'This collaboration with TVA, Kairos Power, and the Oak Ridge community will accelerate the deployment of innovative nuclear technologies and help support the needs of our growing digital economy while also bringing firm carbon-free energy to the electricity system,' Amanda Peterson Corio, Google's global head of data center energy, said in the news release. Hermes 2 is the first reactor under a deal between Kairos Power and Google to bring on 500 megawatts of new, advanced nuclear power production to help cover the tech giant's increased demand for electricity. The new kind of nuclear reactor uses fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor technology. It uses molten salt as a coolant. Another test version of the plant in Oak Ridge, named Hermes, does not produce electricity. The Hermes 2 plant received a construction permit from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in November. The plant still has more steps to complete, including an application for an operating license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Many next-generation reactors, including Kairos' Hermes 2, will use high-assay low-enriched uranium. The fuel is enriched to a higher level than traditional large nuclear reactors use, allowing the newer reactors to run longer and more efficiently, sit on smaller footprints and produce less waste, according to the Department of Energy. There's little of it made in the United States right now. But companies are investing to ramp up production, including in Oak Ridge. The Tennessee Valley Authority powers 10 million people across seven southern states.
Business Insider
8 hours ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Google, Kairos Power to deploy advanced nuclear plant in TVA collaboration
Google (GOOGL), Kairos Power, and the Tennessee Valley Authority announced earlier a new collaboration to 'bolster the country's leadership in advanced nuclear energy.' Through a new power purchase agreement between Kairos Power and TVA, Kairos Power's Hermes 2 Plant in Oak Ridge, Tenn., will deliver up to 50 megawatts of energy to the TVA grid that powers Google data centers in Tennessee and Alabama. 'TVA is the first U.S. utility to sign a PPA to buy electricity from an advanced, GEN IV reactor, and Hermes 2 is the first deployment under Kairos Power's landmark deal with Google to enable 500 MW of new, advanced nuclear capacity to come online by 2035 in support of Google's load growth. To accelerate the delivery of clean energy to Google, Kairos Power will increase Hermes 2's output from 28 MW to 50 MW generated by a single reactor, scheduled to begin operations in 2030. Through this agreement, Google will receive the clean energy attributes from the plant through the TVA system to further decarbonize its data center operations in Montgomery County, Tennessee, and Jackson County, Alabama, and support future growth in the region,' the parties stated. Publicly traded companies in the nuclear energy space include Oklo (OKLO), Nuscale Power (SMR), Nano Nuclear Energy (NNE), BWX Technologies (BWXT), Centrus Energy (LEU) and Cameco (CCJ). Elevate Your Investing Strategy:
Winnipeg Free Press
8 hours ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Utility to buy power from advanced nuclear plant to power Tennessee and Alabama Google data centers
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The nation's largest public utility plans to buy power from an upcoming advanced nuclear plant to help fuel Google data centers in Tennessee and Alabama, according to a deal announced Monday. The Tennessee Valley Authority, California-based Kairos Power and Google say the agreement will deliver up to 50 megawatts of energy to the federal utility's grid that powers the data centers. The announcement comes at a time when tech companies expect to require a massive amount of power to fuel data centers behind artificial intelligence, and some of them have been especially interested in new nuclear production. President Donald Trump released a plan last month to boost AI and build data centers across the U.S. and in May signed executive orders aimed at boosting nuclear power. TVA says it is the first U.S. utility to sign a power purchase agreement to buy electricity from a next-generation nuclear reactor. It would rely on the Hermes 2 reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which is scheduled to begin operations in 2030. The agreement will power data centers in Montgomery County, Tennessee, and Jackson County, Alabama, and support future growth in the region, the news release said. Google will receive clean energy credits associated with the plant. 'This collaboration with TVA, Kairos Power, and the Oak Ridge community will accelerate the deployment of innovative nuclear technologies and help support the needs of our growing digital economy while also bringing firm carbon-free energy to the electricity system,' Amanda Peterson Corio, Google's global head of data center energy, said in the news release. Hermes 2 is the first reactor under a deal between Kairos Power and Google to bring on 500 megawatts of new, advanced nuclear power production to help cover the tech giant's increased demand for electricity. The new kind of nuclear reactor uses fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor technology. It uses molten salt as a coolant. Another test version of the plant in Oak Ridge, named Hermes, does not produce electricity. The Hermes 2 plant received a construction permit from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in November. The plant still has more steps to complete, including an application for an operating license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Many next-generation reactors, including Kairos' Hermes 2, will use high-assay low-enriched uranium. The fuel is enriched to a higher level than traditional large nuclear reactors use, allowing the newer reactors to run longer and more efficiently, sit on smaller footprints and produce less waste, according to the Department of Energy. There's little of it made in the United States right now. But companies are investing to ramp up production, including in Oak Ridge. The Tennessee Valley Authority powers 10 million people across seven southern states.
