Google plots a path to use nuclear energy. But nuclear power from small modular reactors isn’t all that clean—and comes with environmental risks.
Google has signed a long-term deal to buy nuclear power from Kairos Power’s upcoming small modular reactors (SMRs), the companies announced this week.
Kairos will build an unspecified number of SMRs to provide electricity to Google data centers, with the goal of adding 500 MW of electricity to US power grids. Google says the deal is important for powering AI tech, like its own Gemini. Kairos’s SMRs use a low-pressure system with molten-salt cooling, which Google claims make it safer and cheaper to operate than other nuclear reactor types.
“Having an agreement for multiple deployments is important to accelerate the commercialization of advanced nuclear energy by demonstrating the technical and market viability of a solution critical to decarbonizing power grids while delivering much-needed energy generation and capacity”, said Jeff Olson, Kairos Power Vice President, Business Development & Finance, in a statement.
Google presents nuclear energy as a “clean” alternative to carbon dioxide-producing options, like coal-burning plants.
