Google Supports Nuclear Power to Fuel AI Growth

Announced Wednesday, the collaboration will focus on developing three advanced nuclear sites, each projected to generate 600 megawatts of power, according to the Associated Press. While financial details weren’t disclosed, the move highlights a growing reliance on nuclear power to support energy-intensive AI infrastructure.

“Our collaboration with Elementl Power enhances our ability to move at the speed required to meet this moment of AI and American innovation,” said Amanda Peterson Corio, Google’s head of data center energy.

Elementl CEO Chris Colbert echoed the sentiment, saying, “We look forward to working with Google to bring safe, carbon-free, baseload electricity to the grid.”

The companies plan to work with utilities and regulators to identify and build additional nuclear projects in the U.S.

As AI systems expand and demand more energy, U.S. states are increasingly positioning themselves as tech energy hubs. In 2023 alone, 25 states passed legislation supporting advanced nuclear technologies, with over 200 pro-nuclear bills introduced this year, per the Nuclear Energy Institute.

Big Tech is responding. Amazon and Google have announced support for small modular reactors, while Microsoft-backed Constellation Energy is exploring the restart of the shuttered Three Mile Island plant to power data centers.

Beyond nuclear, tech giants continue to invest in wind and solar to round out their clean energy portfolios, as the race for reliable, carbon-free electricity accelerates.