Google goes nuclear to power AI data centers
Google has reached an agreement to utilize small nuclear reactors to generate the substantial energy required for its artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.
The company announced that its partnership with Kairos Power will involve deploying the first reactor within this decade, with plans to bring additional reactors online by 2035.
Details regarding the deal’s financial specifics and the locations of the plants were not disclosed.
As technology companies increasingly seek nuclear energy to power the massive data centers that support AI, Michael Terrell, Google’s senior director for energy and climate, stated, “The grid needs new electricity sources to support AI technologies.”
He added, “This agreement accelerates the adoption of new technology to meet energy demands in a clean and reliable manner, enabling the full potential of AI for everyone.”
Last month, Microsoft also announced a deal to resume operations at the Three Mile Island energy plant, the site of the United States’ most significant nuclear accident in 1979.
In March, Amazon said it would buy a nuclear-powered data centre in the state of Pennsylvania.
Nuclear power, which is virtually carbon free and provides electricity 24 hours a day, has become increasingly attractive to the tech industry as it attempts to cut emissions while becoming more energy intensive.
However, critics say nuclear power is not risk-free and produces long-lasting radioactive waste.
