Nuclear energy from the Hermes 2 reactor, expected to be operational in 2030, will power Google’s data centers in Tennessee and Alabama.
Alphabet Inc.’s (GOOG) (GOOGL) Google, Kairos Power, and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) have joined forces to use advanced nuclear power to help meet growing energy needs and cut down on carbon pollution over the long term.
The agreement, announced on Monday, centers around a power purchase deal that will see energy from Kairos Power’s Hermes 2 nuclear reactor supply Google’s regional data centers.
Alphabet stock inched 0.03% lower on Monday mid-morning. The Hermes 2 project, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is set to deliver up to 50 megawatts of zero-emissions energy to the TVA power grid. This marks the first U.S. utility power purchase agreement involving a fourth-generation (GEN IV) nuclear reactor.
Nuclear energy from the Hermes 2 reactor, expected to be operational in 2030, will power Google’s data centers in Tennessee and Alabama. This move is a part of a broader initiative between Google and Kairos Power aimed at launching 500 MW of advanced nuclear generation capacity by 2035.
“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,” said Google’s Global Head of Data Center Energy, Amanda Peterson Corio.
The Hermes 2 reactor’s capacity has been upgraded from 28MW to 50MW to meet rising demand.
The collaboration also aims to manage financial liability for consumers by concentrating initial costs on early adopters. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around the stock remained in ‘bearish’ territory amid ‘extremely low’ message volume levels. The stock saw a 94% surge in user message count as of Monday morning.
Alphabet stock has gained over 7% year-to-date and 22% in the last 12 months.
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