Major tech giant Google, along with Kairos and TVA, seal groundbreaking agreement for future-focused nuclear project
In a significant move for the nuclear industry, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has entered into a power purchase agreement with Google-backed reactor developer Kairos. This marks the first such deal in the United States between a utility and a fourth-generation nuclear company.
The collaboration is aimed at attracting and supporting companies like Google and helping America win the AI race. Kairos, a pioneer in advanced nuclear technology, is re-engineering its demonstration reactor, the Hermes 2, to produce 50 MW of electricity instead of the initial 28 MW.
The re-envisioned Hermes 2 reactor, designed by Kairos, is being hailed as an example of the success of the Department of Energy's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright praised Kairos for its innovative approach, stating that it is a step towards making advanced nuclear energy commercially competitive.
Google has agreed to buy up to 500 megawatts of power from Kairos over the next decade. Under this latest deal, Google will purchase its first megawatts through the TVA grid. This collaboration is an important step towards making advanced nuclear energy a viable option for investor-owned utilities, as the goal is to reduce the cost of reactors by building the first-of-a-kind units and making the next ones cheaper.
The Hermes 2 reactor, a fluoride salt-cooled reactor, represents the next generation up from the third-generation boiling water reactor, such as the GE-Hitachi reactor. The deployment of advanced nuclear reactors, like Kairos' reactor, is seen as essential for U.S. AI dominance and energy leadership.
The TVA grid will be used to purchase the first megawatts of power from Kairos under the latest deal. The agreement between TVA and Kairos comes amid upheaval at the TVA, with the utility lacking the quorum needed to make a final investment decision on its leading small modular reactor project.
President Donald Trump has threatened to fire the last three members of the TVA's board of directors if they don't terminate its CEO, Don Moul. However, Moul has stated that energy security is national security and electricity is crucial for AI and the nation's economic prosperity.
The first-of-its-kind agreement between TVA and Kairos is seen as a starting point for an innovative way of doing business in the nuclear industry. Other companies, such as Amazon, Google, and Dow Chemical, have also signed deals to buy electricity from fourth-generation nuclear reactors.
The search results do not provide information about the name of the company supported by Google that signed a contract with the Tennessee Valley Authority to purchase electricity from fourth-generation nuclear power plants. Nonetheless, this collaboration between Kairos and TVA is a significant step forward in the advancement of nuclear technology and the pursuit of clean, efficient, and affordable energy solutions.
