Google, Kairos Power, and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) have announced a collaboration to supply up to 50 megawatts of firm, advanced nuclear power to the TVA grid supporting Google’s data centers in Tennessee and Alabama. The agreement is based on a power purchase agreement between Kairos Power and TVA, involving the deployment of Kairos Power’s Hermes 2 advanced nuclear plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, scheduled to begin operation in 2030.
Google states it will receive clean energy attributes associated with the Hermes 2 plant through the TVA system, supporting the decarbonization of its data center operations in Montgomery County, Tennessee, and Jackson County, Alabama, and accommodating future growth in the region. The plant is a component of TVA’s stated strategy to integrate new, firm energy sources—including advanced nuclear—into its service territory to meet growing demand while supporting technology sector growth.
Kairos Power highlights its use of a rapid iterative development approach and vertical integration to commercialize its fluoride salt–cooled, high-temperature reactor technology. In 2025, Kairos Power will commence safety-related construction of its demonstration reactor, which it notes is the first non-water-cooled reactor approved for US construction in over 50 years.
Amanda Peterson Corio, Google’s Global Head of Data Center Energy, said, “To power the future, we need to grow the availability of smart, firm energy sources,” adding, “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. Lessons from the development and operation of the Hermes 2 plant will help drive down the cost of future reactors, improving the economics of clean firm power generation in the TVA region and beyond.”
Mike Laufer, Kairos Power CEO and co-founder, noted, “This collaboration is an important enabler to making advanced nuclear energy commercially competitive,” stating, “The re-envisioned Hermes 2 gets us closer to the commercial fleet sooner and could only be made possible by close collaboration with TVA and Google, and a supportive local community. We are excited to grow Kairos Power’s operations in Oak Ridge while writing a new chapter in the region’s distinguished nuclear history.”
Don Moul, TVA President and CEO, said, “Energy security is national security, and electricity is the strategic commodity that is the building block for AI and our nation’s economic prosperity,” also stating, “The world is looking for American leadership, and this first-of-a-kind agreement is the start of an innovative way of doing business. By developing a technology, a supply chain, and a delivery model that can build an industry to unleash American energy, we can attract and support companies like Google and help America win the AI race.”
Source: Tennessee Valley Authority
