Wedoany.com Report-Aug. 19, On Monday, Google and Kairos Power announced Tennessee as the location for a new advanced nuclear power plant, set to supply electricity to Google’s data centers in the southeastern United States starting in 2030. The facility, to be constructed in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, will support the growing energy demands of data centers powering technologies like artificial intelligence.

A Google sign is pictured on a Google building in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., October 20, 2020.

This project is part of a corporate agreement Google announced last year to purchase nuclear energy from multiple small modular reactors. The Tennessee plant, developed by California-based Kairos Power, will have a capacity of 500 megawatts, sufficient to power approximately 350,000 homes. The electricity will be delivered to Google’s data centers in Tennessee and Alabama through a long-term power purchase agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

Google’s Amanda Peterson Corio stated: “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.” The initiative marks the first U.S. utility agreement for generation IV nuclear power, noted for its enhanced safety and sustainability features.

The project aligns with efforts to meet rising energy demands driven by data-intensive technologies. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright commented: “The deployment of advanced nuclear reactors is essential to U.S. AI dominance and energy leadership. 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, no advanced nuclear power plants are commercially operational in the United States. The Tennessee facility represents a significant step toward integrating next-generation nuclear energy into the nation’s power grid, supporting both technological innovation and sustainable energy goals.