Google Agrees On Electricity Procurement From Kairos Nuclear Reactor Companies For AI Needs

Google cooperation with nuclear energy company Kairos Power (photo: x @ToddMPitcher)

JAKARTA Alphabet, Google's parent company, announced the world's first corporate deal to buy power from several small modular reactors (SMRs) to meet electricity needs for artificial intelligence (AIs).

This deal was made with the nuclear energy company Kairos Power, which plans to present its first small modular reactor by 2030, with additional installations by 2035.

Although the financial details of this agreement were not disclosed, Google said it had agreed to buy a total of 500 megawatts of power from six to seven reactors. This capacity is smaller than the current output of modern nuclear reactors.

"We believe that nuclear can play an important role in helping meet our energy needs cleanly and throughout time," said Michael Terrell, senior director of energy and climate at Google.

This agreement comes amid rising energy needs from technology companies due to a surge in AI usage. Previously, several other technology companies such as Amazon and Microsoft had also signed agreements related to nuclear power plants.

Cairos still require a full construction and design permit from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) as well as licensing from local agencies, which could take years. Last year, Cairos obtained permission to build an experimental reactor in Tennessee.

Google revealed that by committed to a "order book" framework with Cairos, they are trying to provide a long-term signal of demand to accelerate the development of this small modular reactor.