Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Google agrees to fund three US nuclear plants
Washington, May 7 (AFP) May 07, 2025
Tech giant Google and nuclear developer Elementl Power have signed an agreement to develop three advanced nuclear power plants in the United States, according to a statement released Wednesday.

The partnership comes as technology companies seek new power sources to meet the growing energy demands of the generative AI revolution.

Under the agreement, Google will provide early-stage development capital for three projects, each designed to generate at least 600 megawatts of power capacity, each roughly the equivalent to a standard large power plant.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), electricity consumption by data centers is projected to more than double by 2030, creating significant challenges for securing adequate energy as AI usage accelerates.

Google's Global Head of Data Center Energy, Amanda Peterson Corio, said the plan helps fulfill the company's commitment to strengthening power grids.

"Advanced nuclear technology provides reliable, baseload, 24/7 energy" that supports "AI and American innovation," she added.

The collaboration will involve working with utility and regulated power partners to identify suitable locations, according to a joint statement from the companies.

Major tech companies increasingly recognize their growing energy needs.

Microsoft plans to use energy from new reactors at Three Mile Island -- the site of America's worst nuclear accident when it experienced a meltdown in 1979.

Amazon also signed an agreement last year to use nuclear power for its data centers.

Elementl Power will evaluate potential nuclear technology providers and construction partners while selecting specific sites for accelerated development.

Although expensive and politically complicated to build, nuclear power provides consistent, zero-carbon electricity once operational.

Tech companies are investing in Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), though these compact, potentially easier-to-deploy reactors remain experimental.

Amazon has announced investments in SMR projects, including a direct investment in startup X-energy.

Google is partnering with Kairos Power to develop SMRs that it says could be operational as early as 2030.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Can scientists detect life without knowing what it looks like
GoMars model simulates Martian dust storms to improve mission safety
Gemini North tracks changing glow of interstellar Comet 3IATLAS

24/7 Energy News Coverage
Brain machine hybrid model boosts acoustic target detection robustness
'Easiest scam in the world': Musicians sound alarm over AI impersonators
Light driven process prints biocompatible plastic electrodes

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
UK defence chief says 'whole nation' must meet global threats
Bible 1.0: How Ancient Canon Became Our First Large Language Models
New US presidential planes delayed again until 2028

24/7 News Coverage
Human proximity linked to evolution of smaller less aggressive Italian brown bears
Terror Nullius: How Australia Forged a Nation Through Terror
Japan's only two pandas to be sent home; US, Japan defence chiefs say China harming regional peace


All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.