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3d ago

Google, TVA Strike First U.S. Utility Deal for Gen IV Nuclear to Power Data Centers by 2030

Hitting 2030 hinges on an NRC operating license with adequate HALEU/TRISO fuel supply.

A Google sign is pictured on a Google building in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., October 20, 2020. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
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In August 2025, Google, TVA, and Kairos Power signed a first-of-its-kind agreement for Hermes 2, a 50-MW advanced molten salt reactor slated to begin operations in 2030 in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The deal marks the first U.S. utility PPA for electricity from a Gen IV reactor and will deliver 24/7 carbon-free energy to power Google’s expanding data centers in Tennessee and Alabama. Courtesy: Kairos Power

Overview

  • Kairos Power’s Hermes 2 reactor in Oak Ridge will supply 50 megawatts to the TVA grid under a new PPA, with Google receiving clean energy credits to match usage at data centers in Tennessee and Alabama.
  • The agreement is the first time a U.S. utility has committed to buy electricity from a Generation IV advanced nuclear plant, according to the companies.
  • Hermes 2 has an NRC construction permit issued in November 2024, while the reactor still requires an operating license before generating power.
  • The design is a fluoride salt‑cooled, high‑temperature reactor using molten salt coolant and HALEU‑based TRISO fuel, with workforce training planned through the University of Tennessee.
  • The plant is the initial step in Google’s collaboration with Kairos to deploy up to 500 megawatts of advanced nuclear capacity over the next decade, with financial terms of the current deal undisclosed.