TVA to Buy Advanced Nuclear Power for Google Data Centers

(Bloomberg) -- The Tennessee Valley Authority agreed to buy electricity from a small nuclear power plant that’s expected to go into service in 2030 and will help power data centers owned by Alphabet Inc.’s Google. 

Kairos Power LLC is building a demonstration reactor in Tennessee and also plans to construct a 50-megawatt version that may be the first advanced reactor to go into service in the US, according to a statement Monday. Terms weren’t disclosed. 

TVA will be the first US utility to buy power from an advanced reactor, a move that shows growing confidence in the nuclear industry’s ability to build new types of power plants. Technology companies are clamoring for energy for data centers that are running artificial intelligence systems. That’s driving up demand for electricity, especially clean power from reactors. This agreement follows Kairos’ October deal to supply power to Google.

Kairos is developing a reactor that uses molten fluoride salt as a coolant instead of water typically used in conventional nuclear plants. That will allow Kairos’ facility to operate at higher temperatures so it captures more energy from the fission reaction. 

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