Google has just signed an agreement with the nuclear energy startup Kairos Power to purchase electricity, with deliveries set to begin by 2030 and an installation of 500 MW by 2035.
The company is keen on supplying its AI servers with carbon-free energy, similar to its competitors, and is focusing on nuclear power. U.S. authorities have noted an electricity shortage and have initiated discussions with tech firms to power their infrastructures. This situation is also motivating companies to take more proactive measures.
It remains unclear what terms Google and Kairos agreed upon—whether it involves direct funding or merely the purchase of energy once everything is operational. Kairos has already passed several stages in the development of small modular reactors (SMRs) and is regarded as one of the most promising energy startups. The company was the first to receive approval from U.S. regulators to build a demonstration reactor in Tennessee.
The SMR market is seeing intense competition—even though no reactors have been built yet, driven by overwhelming demand for new energy-generating capacities from data centers. Westinghouse, a pioneer in nuclear energy, is also working on a small reactor that is easy to transport and deploy, generating 5 MW for eight years.
However, this symbiosis of two technologies has certain vulnerabilities. It is uncertain how long the AI boom, which requires significant energy for processing, will last. On the other hand, SMRs have proven to be less economical and straightforward compared to traditional nuclear energy. At the very least, one of these reactors needs to become operational.
Sources: The Keyword, Tom's Hardware
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