Google to support development of three sites for new nuclear units

Google will support preparatory work to develop three sites for nuclear reactors. Under a strategic partnership, Google is targeting at least 1.8 GW of new installed capacity, with an option to purchase clean electricity. More and more technology companies seeking stable, clean energy supplies are supporting the development of new nuclear projects.

US company Elementl Power announced that it had signed a strategic agreement with software giant Google to develop nuclear power. The two companies aim to prepare new nuclear projects in the country.

“Innovative partnerships like this are essential to mobilizing the capital needed to build new nuclear projects. These projects are crucial to supplying secure, affordable and clean, reliable energy, and help companies achieve their long-term carbon neutrality goals,”said Elementl Power Chairman and CEO Chris Colbert.

Elementl Power is preparing three sites, each with a planned installed capacity of at least 600 MW. In return for supporting the projects in their early stages, Google has an option to purchase electricity from the new nuclear units. The companies did not disclose the specific locations or the value of the contract.

“We founded Elementl Power in 2022 to serve as a catalyst for  private capital in advanced nuclear projects. This partnership with Google marks a significant milestone in Elementl Power’s growth trajectory,” said Elementl Power co-founder and president Ryan Mills.

Nuclear power for data centers

This is not Google’s first collaboration on nuclear projects. Last year, it signed an agreement with Kairos Power to purchase electricity from the company’s future small modular reactors. By 2030, Google aims to meet all its consumption with clean electricity. In recent years, the company has been particularly active in signing PPAs with renewable energy operators.

“Google is committed to supporting projects that strengthen power grids in the places where we operate. Advanced nuclear technology provides reliable baseload power 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our collaboration with Elementl Power increases our ability to move at the pace needed to meet the demands of AI and American innovation,” said Amanda Peterson Corio, Google’s global director of data center energy.

Other companies, including Amazon, Microsoft and Meta, have also recently supported nuclear projects to secure electricity for data centers and meet rising demand related to the computing requirements of artificial intelligence.