The Outpost is a comprehensive collection of curated artificial intelligence software tools that cater to the needs of small business owners, bloggers, artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, marketers, writers, and researchers.
© 2024 TheOutpost.AI All rights reserved
Curated by THEOUTPOST
On October 15, 2024
15 Sources
[1]
Google to buy power for AI needs from small modular nuclear reactor company Kairos
Alphabet's Google signs the first corporate deal to purchase 500 megawatts from Kairos Power's small modular reactors by 2035, meeting AI-driven electricity demand. Kairos aims to bring the first SMR online by 2030, despite permitting and cost challenges.Alphabet's Google said on Monday it signed the world's first corporate agreement to buy power from multiple small modular reactors to meet electricity demand for artificial intelligence. The technology company's agreement with Kairos Power aims to bring Kairos' first small modular reactor online by 2030, followed by additional deployments through 2035. The companies did not reveal financial details of the agreement or where in the U.S. the plants would be built. Google said it has agreed to buy a total of 500 megawatts of power from six to seven reactors, which is smaller than the output of today's nuclear reactors. "We feel like nuclear can play an important role in helping to meet our demand ... cleanly in a way that's more around the clock," Michael Terrell, senior director for energy and climate at Google, told reporters on a call. Technology firms have signed several recent agreements with nuclear power companies this year as artificial intelligence boosts power demand for the first time in decades. In March, Amazon.com purchased a nuclear-powered datacenter from Talen Energy. Last month, Microsoft and Constellation Energy signed a power deal to help resurrect a unit of the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania, the site of the worst U.S. nuclear accident in 1979. U.S. data center power use is expected to roughly triple between 2023 and 2030 and will require about 47 gigawatts of new generation capacity, according to Goldman Sachs estimates, which assumed natural gas, wind and solar power would fill the gap. Kairos will need to get full construction and design permitting from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission as well as permits from local agencies, a process that can take years. Kairos late last year got a construction permit from the NRC to build a demonstration reactor in Tennessee. "The NRC is ready to efficiently and appropriately review applications for new reactors," said Scott Burnell, an NRC spokesperson. Small modular reactors are intended to be smaller than today's reactors with components built in a factory, instead of onsite, to reduce construction costs. Critics say SMRs will be expensive because they may not be able to achieve the economy of scale of larger plants. In addition, they will likely produce long-lasting nuclear waste for which the country does not yet have a final repository. Google said by committing to a so-called order book framework with Kairos, instead of buying one reactor at a time, it is sending a demand signal to the market and making a long-term investment to speed development of SMRs. "We're confident that this novel approach is going to improve the prospects of our projects being delivered on cost and on schedule," said Mike Laufer, CEO and co-founder of Kairos.
[2]
Google to buy power from small modular nuclear reactor company Kairos for AI needs
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alphabet's Google said on Monday it signed the world's first corporate agreement to buy power from multiple small modular reactors as the technology company looks to meet electricity demand from artificial intelligence. The agreement with Kairos Power aims to bring Kairos' first small modular reactor online by 2030, followed by additional deployments through 2035. The companies did not reveal financial details of the agreement or where in the U.S. the plants would be built. Google said it has agreed to buy 500 megawatts of power from six to seven reactors, which is smaller than the output of today's nuclear reactors. "We feel like nuclear can play an important role in helping to meet our demand ... cleanly in a way that's more around the clock," Michael Terrell, senior director for energy and climate at Google, told reporters on a call. Technology firms have signed several recent agreements with nuclear power companies this year as artificial intelligence boosts power demand for the first time in decades. In March, Amazon.com purchased a nuclear-powered datacenter from Talen Energy. Last month, Microsoft and Constellation Energy signed a power deal to help resurrect a unit of the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania, the site of the worst U.S. nuclear accident in 1979. U.S. data center power use is expected to roughly triple between 2023 and 2030 and will require about 47 gigawatts of new generation capacity, according to Goldman Sachs estimates, which assumed natural gas, wind and solar power would fill the gap. The Google deal will depend on Kairos getting full permitting from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and local agencies. Kairos late last year got a construction permit from the NRC to build a demonstration reactor in Tennessee. But Kairos needs design and construction permits from the NRC for the reactors in the deal announced on Monday. Small modular reactors are intended to be smaller than today's reactors with components built in a factory, instead of onsite, to help cut construction costs. Critics say SMRs will be expensive because they may not be able to achieve the economy of scale of larger plants. In addition, they will likely produce long-lasting nuclear waste for which the country does not yet have a final repository. Google said by committing to a so-called order book framework with Kairos, instead of buying one reactor at a time, it is sending a demand signal to the market and making a long-term investment to speed development of SMRs. "We're confident that this novel approach is going to improve the prospects of our projects being delivered on cost and on schedule," said Mike Laufer, CEO and co-founder of Kairos. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
[3]
Google strikes a deal with a nuclear startup to power its AI data centers
Google is turning to nuclear energy to help power its AI drive. On Monday, the company said it will partner with the startup Kairos Power to build seven small nuclear reactors in the US. The deal targets adding 500 megawatts of nuclear power from the small modular reactors (SMRs) by the decade's end. The first is expected to be up and running by 2030, with the remainder arriving through 2035. It's the first-ever corporate deal to buy nuclear power from SMRs. Small modular reactors are smaller than existing reactors. Their components are built inside a factory rather than on-site, which can help lower construction costs compared to full-scale plants. Kairos will need the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to approve design and construction permits for the plans. The startup has already received approval for a demonstration reactor in Tennessee, with an online date targeted for 2027. The company already builds test units (without nuclear-fuel components) at a development facility in Albuquerque, NM, where it assesses components, systems and its supply chain. The companies didn't announce the financial details of the arrangement. Google says the deal's structure will help to keep costs down and get the energy online sooner. "By procuring electricity from multiple reactors -- what experts call an 'orderbook' of reactors -- we will help accelerate the repeated reactor deployments that are needed to lower costs and bring Kairos Power's technology to market more quickly," Michael Terrell, Google's senior director for energy and climate, wrote in a blog post. "This is an important part of our approach to scale the benefits of advanced technologies to more people and communities, and builds on our previous efforts." The AI boom -- and the enormous amount of data center power it requires -- has led to several deals between Big Tech companies and the nuclear industry. In September, Microsoft forged an agreement with Constellation Energy to bring a unit of the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania back online. In March, Amazon bought a nuclear-powered data center from Talen Energy.
[4]
Google adopts small nuclear power reactors at unprecedented scale -- inks deal for seven reactors to feed AI data centers
Google just signed a deal with nuclear power startup Kairos Power to buy carbon-free electricity, with a 2030 initial delivery target and full deployment by 2035. According to Google's blog 'The Keyword', the tech giant aims to deliver 500MW of "new 24.7 carbon-free power" to the U.S. power grid. This move will likely support Google's push for AI supremacy, especially as data center deployments are already being limited by power availability. The White House has taken notice of this power deficit and has undertaken talks with tech companies about the scale of their power demands. It seems that these talks have borne fruit, especially as Google isn't the first one to push for small modular reactors as a data center power source. In early September, Oracle broke the news that it would build three small modular reactors (SMRs) that would deliver at least one gigawatt of power to its AI data centers. Microsoft is also investing $1.6 billion to restart the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor, which the company says will generate more than 800MW. It's unclear how Google and Kairos set up the deal -- whether the former is providing direct funding or if it just promised to buy the power that the latter generates when its reactors are up and running. Nevertheless, Kairos has already passed several milestones, making it one of the more promising startups in the field of nuclear energy. For example, it has already received the green light from the U.S. Nuclear Registry Commission (the first one to do so) to build its Hermes non-powered demonstrator reactor in Tennessee. Although it still doesn't have nuclear fuel on-site, this is a major step in its design process, allowing the company to see its system in real life and learn more about its deployment and operation. However, Kairos isn't the only one working on SMR technology, especially as there is massive demand for easily deployable power sources for data centers. Nuclear power pioneer Westinghouse is also working on a micro nuclear reactor that's easily transportable and deployable, allowing it to deliver an uninterrupted 5MW for eight years. The AI boom isn't just driving demand for chips and data centers, it's also requiring innovations in other industries, like power production and energy transmission. Nevertheless, there are some experts who doubt the viability of the AI business, with some even saying that Nvidia's AI valuation is a 'bubble' and 'overhyped' and that over 80% of AI projects will fail. But as long as investments are pouring in, tech companies will push the envelope on AI tech, hoping that they can remain on the cutting edge if and when AI will go mainstream.
[5]
Google to Buy Power for AI Needs from Kairos
Kairos will need to get full construction, design permitting from US Alphabet's Google said on Monday it signed the world's first corporate agreement to buy power from multiple small modular reactors to meet electricity demand for artificial intelligence. The technology company's agreement with Kairos Power aims to bring Kairos' first small modular reactor online by 2030, followed by additional deployments through 2035. The companies did not reveal financial details of the agreement or where in the US the plants would be built. Google said it has agreed to buy a total of 500 megawatts of power from six to seven reactors, which is smaller than the output of today's nuclear reactors. "We feel like nuclear can play an important role in helping to meet our demand ... cleanly in a way that's more around the clock," Michael Terrell, senior director for energy and climate at Google, told reporters on a call. Technology firms have signed several recent agreements with nuclear power companies this year as artificial intelligence boosts power demand for the first time in decades. In March, Amazon.com purchased a nuclear-powered datacenter from Talen Energy. Last month, Microsoft and Constellation Energy signed a power deal to help resurrect a unit of the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania, the site of the worst US nuclear accident in 1979. US data center power use is expected to roughly triple between 2023 and 2030 and will require about 47 gigawatts of new generation capacity, according to Goldman Sachs estimates, which assumed natural gas, wind and solar power would fill the gap. Kairos will need to get full construction and design permitting from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission as well as permits from local agencies, a process that can take years. Kairos late last year got a construction permit from the NRC to build a demonstration reactor in Tennessee. "The NRC is ready to efficiently and appropriately review applications for new reactors," said Scott Burnell, an NRC spokesperson. Small modular reactors are intended to be smaller than today's reactors with components built in a factory, instead of onsite, to reduce construction costs. Critics say SMRs will be expensive because they may not be able to achieve the economy of scale of larger plants. In addition, they will likely produce long-lasting nuclear waste for which the country does not yet have a final repository. Google said by committing to a so-called order book framework with Kairos, instead of buying one reactor at a time, it is sending a demand signal to the market and making a long-term investment to speed development of SMRs. "We're confident that this novel approach is going to improve the prospects of our projects being delivered on cost and on schedule," said Mike Laufer, CEO and co-founder of Kairos. © Thomson Reuters 2024
[6]
Google to buy power from small modular nuclear reactor company Kairos for AI needs
WASHINGTON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Google said on Monday it signed the world's first corporate agreement to buy power from multiple small modular reactors as the technology company looks to meet electricity demand from artificial intelligence. The agreement with Kairos Power aims to bring Kairos' first small modular reactor online by 2030, followed by additional deployments through 2035. The companies did not reveal financial details of the agreement or where in the U.S. the plants would be built. Google said it has agreed to buy 500 megawatts of power from six to seven reactors, which is smaller than the output of today's nuclear reactors. Advertisement · Scroll to continue "We feel like nuclear can play an important role in helping to meet our demand ... cleanly in a way that's more around the clock," Michael Terrell, senior director for energy and climate at Google, told reporters on a call. Technology firms have signed several recent agreements with nuclear power companies this year as artificial intelligence boosts power demand for the first time in decades. In March, Amazon.com (AMZN.O), opens new tab purchased a nuclear-powered datacenter from Talen Energy (TLN.O), opens new tab. Last month, Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab and Constellation Energy (CEG.O), opens new tab signed a power deal to help resurrect a unit of the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania, the site of the worst U.S. nuclear accident in 1979. Advertisement · Scroll to continue U.S. data center power use is expected to roughly triple between 2023 and 2030 and will require about 47 gigawatts of new generation capacity, according to Goldman Sachs estimates, which assumed natural gas, wind and solar power would fill the gap. The Google deal will depend on Kairos getting full permitting from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and local agencies. Kairos late last year got a construction permit from the NRC to build a demonstration reactor in Tennessee. But Kairos needs design and construction permits from the NRC for the reactors in the deal announced on Monday. Small modular reactors are intended to be smaller than today's reactors with components built in a factory, instead of onsite, to help cut construction costs. Critics say SMRs will be expensive because they may not be able to achieve the economy of scale of larger plants. In addition, they will likely produce long-lasting nuclear waste for which the country does not yet have a final repository. Google said by committing to a so-called order book framework with Kairos, instead of buying one reactor at a time, it is sending a demand signal to the market and making a long-term investment to speed development of SMRs. "We're confident that this novel approach is going to improve the prospects of our projects being delivered on cost and on schedule," said Mike Laufer, CEO and co-founder of Kairos. Reporting by Timothy Gardner Editing by Bill Berkrot Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Timothy Gardner Thomson Reuters Timothy reports on energy and environment policy and is based in Washington, D.C. His coverage ranges from the latest in nuclear power, to environment regulations, to U.S. sanctions and geopolitics. He has been a member of three teams in the past two years that have won Reuters best journalism of the year awards. As a cyclist he is happiest outside.
[7]
Google to buy power for AI needs from small modular nuclear reactor company Kairos
Alphabet logo and AI Artificial Intelligence words are seen in this illustration taken, May 4, 2023. Reuters-Yonhap Alphabet's Google said on Monday it signed the world's first corporate agreement to buy power from multiple small modular reactors to meet electricity demand for artificial intelligence. The technology company's agreement with Kairos Power aims to bring Kairos' first small modular reactor online by 2030, followed by additional deployments through 2035. The companies did not reveal financial details of the agreement or where in the U.S. the plants would be built. Google said it has agreed to buy a total of 500 megawatts of power from six to seven reactors, which is smaller than the output of today's nuclear reactors. "We feel like nuclear can play an important role in helping to meet our demand ... cleanly in a way that's more around the clock," Michael Terrell, senior director for energy and climate at Google, told reporters on a call. Technology firms have signed several recent agreements with nuclear power companies this year as artificial intelligence boosts power demand for the first time in decades. In March, Amazon.com purchased a nuclear-powered datacenter from Talen Energy. Last month, Microsoft and Constellation Energy signed a power deal to help resurrect a unit of the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania, the site of the worst U.S. nuclear accident in 1979. U.S. data center power use is expected to roughly triple between 2023 and 2030 and will require about 47 gigawatts of new generation capacity, according to Goldman Sachs estimates, which assumed natural gas, wind and solar power would fill the gap. Kairos will need to get full construction and design permitting from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission as well as permits from local agencies, a process that can take years. Kairos late last year got a construction permit from the NRC to build a demonstration reactor in Tennessee. "The NRC is ready to efficiently and appropriately review applications for new reactors," said Scott Burnell, an NRC spokesperson. Small modular reactors are intended to be smaller than today's reactors with components built in a factory, instead of onsite, to reduce construction costs. Critics say SMRs will be expensive because they may not be able to achieve the economy of scale of larger plants. In addition, they will likely produce long-lasting nuclear waste for which the country does not yet have a final repository. Google said by committing to a so-called order book framework with Kairos, instead of buying one reactor at a time, it is sending a demand signal to the market and making a long-term investment to speed development of SMRs. "We're confident that this novel approach is going to improve the prospects of our projects being delivered on cost and on schedule," said Mike Laufer, CEO and co-founder of Kairos. (Reuters)
[8]
Google set to power it's AI data centres with mini-nuclear reactors
The tech giant has announced a deal to purchase nuclear energy from multiple small modular reactors developed by California based Kairos Power. In a new effort to power its AI data centres with clean energy, Google has turned to nuclear energy and signed a partnership with US-based Kairos Power which is developing small modular reactors (SMRs). "Today, we're [...] signing the world's first corporate agreement to purchase nuclear energy from multiple small modular reactors (SMRs) to be developed by Kairos Power," said Google in a statement. The first such reactor to power Google's data centres is expected to be operational by 2030, followed by additional reactor deployments through to 2035. Google added: "Overall, this deal will enable up to 500 MW of new 24/7 carbon-free power to US electricity grids. The grid needs new electricity sources to support AI technologies." That is enough to power roughly 360,000 homes with electricity annually. Data centres are the heart of the digital economy and their overall energy consumption is expected to double between 2023 and 2028 reaching 857 Terawatt hours (TWh) by the end of this period. Kairos Power has been developing small modular reactors that use a molten-salt cooling system (instead of water), promising shorter construction time and more adaptable solutions for localised needs. The technology is not ready, however, the deal is seen as an important step in unlocking the path to long-term commercial scale. This summer, Kairos Power broke ground on its demonstration reactor in Tennessee, the first such project to receive a construction permit from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. "This agreement helps accelerate a new technology to meet energy needs cleanly and reliably, and unlock the full potential of AI for everyone," added Google. The company has not revealed the deal's value or the planned location of the reactors.
[9]
Google wants to address data center power demands with nuclear power
Google has signed a new deal with Kairos Power to use small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) to power its energy-hungry artificial intelligence (AI) data centers as the world begins to confront the consequences of widespread AI adoption and a grid that's struggling to keep up. The partnership will be the first corporate agreement involving the purchase of nuclear energy from multiple SMRs, and is set to begin operation by the end of the decade. With the first reactor online by 2030, Google plans to enlist additional reactors over the following five years. In the nearly two years that have followed the public preview launch of ChatGPT, which is credited with kickstarting widespread interest in artificial intelligence, tech giants like Google, Microsoft and Amazon have been forced to rethink their strategies as data centers' power consumption and use of other natural resources have come under fire. Google's Senior Director for Energy and Climate, Michael Terrell, emphasized the importance of the agreement, noting that the grid needs new energy sources to support AI's continued expansion. He described the partnership with Kairos as an opportunity to accelerate clean, reliable nuclear power and to unlock AI's full potential. Kairos Power CEO Mike Laufer commented: "By coming alongside in the development phase, Google is more than just a customer. They are a partner who deeply understands our innovative approach and the potential it can deliver." Alphabet isn't the only big corp looking at nuclear energy to power its data centers - Microsoft and Amazon have also been publicly exploring the potential of nuclear, with the US Department of Energy also deeming it a viable solution. Besides nuclear, Google has also been diversifying its energy investments to offshore wind, solar and geothermic activity. It's not just Google who are looking to address the significant power usage of data centers, as energy companies have also been advised that they need to plan ahead for the AI data center power drain, or lose out on revenue. In a recent interview, Jay Jiang Yu, Founder and Executive Chairman of Nano Nuclear Energy Inc, told TechRadar Pro that "The systems which would need to be in place to meet the expected energy demand would need to commence their installation now, to ensure that the AI and data centers in 2-3 years had the power supply necessary to continue their upscaling and expansion." "Currently the deficit in energy is expected to hit the tech centers sometime around 2026-2027, and currently no new system looks able to come online before those dates," he concluded.
[10]
Google to buy nuclear power for AI datacentres in 'world first' deal
Tech company orders six or seven small nuclear reactors from California's Kairos Power Google has signed a "world first" deal to buy energy from a fleet of mini nuclear reactors to generate the power needed for the rise in use of artificial intelligence. The US tech corporation has ordered six or seven small nuclear reactors (SMRs) from California's Kairos Power, with the first due to be completed by 2030 and the remainder by 2035. Google hopes the deal will provide a low carbon solution to power datacentres, which require huge volumes of electricity. The US company, owned by Alphabet, said nuclear provided "a clean, round-the-clock power source that can help us reliably meet electricity demands". The explosive growth of generative AI, as well as cloud storage, has increased tech companies' electricity demands. Last month, Microsoft struck a deal to take energy from Three Mile Island, activating the plant for the first time in five years. The site, in Pennsylvania, was the location of the most serious nuclear meltdown in US history, in March 1979. Amazon bought a datacentre powered by nuclear energy in March from Talen Energy. The locations of the new plants and financial details of the agreement were not revealed. Google has agreed to buy a total of 500 megawatts of power from Kairos, which was founded in 2016 and is building a demonstration reactor in Tennessee, due to be completed in 2027. Michael Terrell, the senior director for energy and climate at Google, said: "The grid needs new electricity sources to support AI technologies that are powering major scientific advances, improving services for businesses and customers, and driving national competitiveness and economic growth. "This agreement helps accelerate a new technology to meet energy needs cleanly and reliably, and unlock the full potential of AI for everyone." Mike Laufer, the chief executive and co-founder of Kairos, said: "We're confident that this novel approach is going to improve the prospects of our projects being delivered on cost and on schedule." The deal, which is subject to regulatory permits, represents a vote of confidence in SMR technology. The smaller, factory-built power plants are designed to cut the cost overruns and delays often experienced in building bigger plants. However, critics argue that SMRs will be expensive because they may not be able to achieve the same economy of scale as larger plants. In the UK, companies are bidding to be selected by the government to develop their SMR technologies as ministers aim to revive its nuclear industry. One of the bidders, Rolls-Royce SMR, received a significant boost last month when it was selected by the Czech government to build a fleet of reactors.
[11]
Google goes nuclear in new deal to power AI
Why it matters: It's Google's first nuclear foray as the tech giant -- and its peers -- hunt for zero-carbon power to fuel energy-thirsty AI data centers. Driving the news: If successful, it will bring 500 new megawatts of power to U.S. grids, with the first SMR targeted to come online by 2030 and more through 2035, it said. Reality check: Despite some progress, the SMR industry has yet to successfully commercialize and scale the tech. The big picture: Tech companies are increasingly looking at nuclear energy -- in various forms -- as they face pressure to prevent the AI surge from worsening climate change. State of play: California-based Kairos has Energy Department backing, and has begun constructing a demonstration reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. What we don't know: Google and Kairos didn't provide any information about the costs or financial structure of the deal. What we're watching: Other potential Google forays into nuclear, which Terrell didn't rule out. The bottom line: "We believe that nuclear energy has a critical role to play in supporting our clean growth and helping to deliver on the progress of AI," Terrell said.
[12]
Google goes nuclear to power its artificial intelligence ambitions
Google has signed a deal to use small nuclear reactors to generate the vast amounts of energy needed to power its artificial intelligence (AI) data centres. The company says the agreement with Kairos Power will see it start using the first reactor this decade and bring more online by 2035. Technology firms are increasingly turning to nuclear sources of energy to supply the electricity used by huge data centres that drive AI. The companies did not give any details about how much the deal is worth or where the plants will be built.
[13]
Google signs nuclear power deal with startup Kairos
SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Google on Monday signed a deal to get electricity from small nuclear reactors to help power artificial intelligence. The agreement to buy energy from reactors built by Kairos Power came just weeks after word that Three Mile Island, the site of America's worst nuclear accident, will restart operations to provide energy to Microsoft. "We believe that nuclear energy has a critical role to play in supporting our clean growth and helping to deliver on the progress of AI," Google senior director of energy and climate said during a briefing. "The grid needs these kinds of clean, reliable sources of energy that can support the build out of these technologies." No financial details were disclosed. Microsoft use of Three Mile Island's nuclear energy will bolster a power grid covering 13 states. This area faces severe strain from data centers' massive energy consumption, raising concerns about grid stability as AI demands increase. Amazon's AWS agreed in March to invest USD650 million in a data center campus powered by another Pennsylvania nuclear plant. Nuclear energy has staunch opponents due to concerns about radioactive waste disposal, the potential for catastrophic accidents, and the high costs associated with plant construction and decommissioning. The 1979 partial meltdown of Unit 2 at Three Mile Island caused panic in the United States and brought the expansion of nuclear energy to a standstill. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission deemed it the "most serious accident in US commercial nuclear power plant operating history," though it noted no detectable health effects on workers or the public from the small radioactive releases.
[14]
Google Joins Big Tech's Pivot To Nuclear Energy To Power AI
Last month, Microsoft announced that Constellation Energy would be restarting Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island Unit 1 nuclear plant to provide electricity for the tech firm's data centers. Alphabet's (GOOGL) Google is backing the construction of seven small reactors by Kairos Power, the latest move by a tech giant to ramp up nuclear energy use to power its artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions. The target, Google said, is to add 500 megawatts of nuclear power in total. The first nuclear reactor is slated to be online by 2030, followed by others through 2035. "This agreement is part of our efforts to develop and commercialize a broad portfolio of advanced clean electricity technologies to power our global data centers and offices," said Michael Terrell, senior director of energy and climate at Google, noting that the deal would provide "new 24/7 carbon-free power to U.S. electricity grids." The power-hungry nature of AI chips is prompting the large tech firms that are staking their fortunes on the technology to turn to nuclear energy, which has the advantage of being more stable than many other renewable energy sources. Last month, Microsoft (MSFT) announced that Constellation Energy (CEG) would be restarting Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island Unit 1 nuclear plant to provide electricity for the tech firm's data centers in a 20-year supply deal. In March, Amazon's (AMZN) Amazon Web Services bought a nuclear-powered data center in Pennsylvania for $650 million from Talen Energy (TLN). Google shares are edging higher in premarket trading.
[15]
Google is going nuclear to power AI
California's new $20 minimum wage for fast food workers didn't cost jobs, study says The tech giant has commissioned several new small modular reactors (SMRs) from Alameda, California-based nuclear power startup Kairos Power, Google parent Alphabet announced Monday. Under the agreement, Google plans to get the first power plant online by 2030, followed by additional reactor deployments through 2035. The deal will add 500 megawatts of power to U.S. electric grids, as it looks to satisfy growing electricity demands from its data centers using carbon-free energy sources. The company said this "helps accelerate a new technology to meet energy needs cleanly and reliably, and unlock the full potential of AI for everyone." The announcement follows an agreement between Microsoft (MSFT) and energy firm Constellation (CEG) last month that will reopen one of the nuclear reactors on Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island to power Microsoft's data centers. An independent but neighboring reactor at the nuclear site was home to the the worst meltdown ever at a U.S. commercial nuclear power plant in 1979. The Microsoft project, known as the Crane Clean Energy Center, is expected to go online in 2028, the company said. It's expected to provide upwards of 800 MW to the grid. Google's partnership with Kairos is its latest effort to scale up its energy capacity, as AI continues to bring energy supply questions to the fore. Last November, Google developed a geothermal project with developer Fervo Energy that supplies power to its data centers in Nevada. The company has said it hopes to entirely operate its data centers and office campuses using 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030. Google's greenhouse gas emissions rose by 48% between 2019 and 2023, it disclosed in a sustainability report earlier this year. Also in 2023, total data center electricity consumption at Google grew 17% -- a "trend" it said it expects will continue. Google attributed this surge to increases in data center energy consumption and supply chain emissions, particularly as the company continues to integrate AI into its products. And this will be an industry-wide adjustment. The International Energy Agency estimated in its latest annual forecast that the total electricity consumption of data centers -- which house computing systems -- could reach more than 1,000 terawatt hours in 2026. For scale, a single Google search uses 0.3 watt-hours of electricity, while a request for OpenAI's ChatGPT takes 2.9 watt-hours, the agency found. If there were 9 billion ChatGPT queries daily, this would require almost 10 terawatt hours of additional electricity in a year.
Share
Share
Copy Link
Google signs a groundbreaking deal with Kairos Power to purchase 500 megawatts from small modular nuclear reactors by 2035, aiming to meet the growing energy demands of AI technology.
In a groundbreaking development, Google has signed the world's first corporate agreement to purchase power from multiple small modular reactors (SMRs) to meet the escalating electricity demands of artificial intelligence (AI) [1]. This innovative partnership with nuclear startup Kairos Power aims to bring 500 megawatts of carbon-free power online by 2035, with the first reactor expected to be operational by 2030 [2].
Google has committed to buying power from six to seven SMRs, totaling 500 megawatts [1]. While the financial details and exact locations of the plants remain undisclosed, this agreement marks a significant step in the tech industry's pursuit of sustainable energy solutions for AI-driven operations [3].
Michael Terrell, Google's senior director for energy and climate, emphasized the importance of nuclear energy in meeting their demand cleanly and consistently [1]. This move aligns with Google's broader strategy to scale advanced technologies and accelerate the deployment of SMRs [4].
Google's initiative is part of a larger trend among tech giants seeking nuclear solutions for their growing energy needs:
These developments come as U.S. data center power consumption is projected to triple between 2023 and 2030, requiring approximately 47 gigawatts of new generation capacity [1].
Kairos Power has already made significant strides in the nuclear energy sector:
However, the company still needs to secure full construction and design permits from the NRC and local agencies for the reactors involved in the Google deal [2].
While SMRs offer potential advantages in terms of construction costs and flexibility, they face several challenges:
Critics argue that SMRs may prove expensive and struggle to match the efficiency of larger nuclear facilities [5].
This deal represents a significant step in addressing the power challenges posed by the AI boom. As AI continues to drive unprecedented demand for data center capacity, innovative energy solutions like SMRs could play a crucial role in sustaining the industry's growth while minimizing environmental impact [5].
Google's "order book" approach with Kairos Power is designed to accelerate SMR development and deployment, potentially paving the way for more widespread adoption of this technology in the tech sector [3].
Reference
[1]
[2]
[4]
[5]
Google CEO Sundar Pichai reveals the company's interest in nuclear energy, particularly small modular reactors, to power AI data centers while striving to meet ambitious climate targets. This move reflects a broader trend among tech giants seeking sustainable energy solutions for their growing AI operations.
4 Sources
Tech giants like Microsoft and Google are eyeing nuclear power for their AI data centers, but regulatory and infrastructure challenges may delay implementation. The move aims to reduce carbon footprints and meet growing energy demands of AI technologies.
13 Sources
Microsoft is considering a groundbreaking plan to revive the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant to supply electricity to its AI data centers. This move could potentially reshape the future of both nuclear energy and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
55 Sources
Microsoft signs a groundbreaking deal to power its AI operations with nuclear energy from Three Mile Island, signaling a shift in the tech industry's approach to sustainable power for AI infrastructure.
2 Sources
Microsoft plans to reopen the Three Mile Island nuclear plant to power its AI data centers, raising questions about taxpayer risk and nuclear safety in the pursuit of clean energy for tech giants.
7 Sources