During a discussion on “Claman Countdown,” panelists Ernest Moniz and Simon Ireland touched on ground energy linked to HCM II’s acquisition, marking the inception of public salt reactor development.
On Wednesday, Google revealed its partnership with Elementl Power to assist power producers as they work on advancing three nuclear sites.
In a blog post, Google stated that “Elementl Power will furnish early-stage funding to prepare three potential U.S. locations for advanced nuclear initiatives.”
Google and Elementl Power mentioned that once Elementl begins generating power at its site, the tech giant will obtain “commercial off-take options” tied to the three upcoming advanced nuclear projects.
“Google is focused on accelerating the projects we engage in to bolster our power grid, as advanced nuclear technology offers dependable baseload energy around the clock,” a representative commented. They also noted that this collaboration with Elementl Power will enhance their capacity to keep pace with the demands of AI and innovation in the U.S.
The nation turns to smaller advanced nuclear reactors for its electricity needs
Elementl Power indicated that each site is expected to generate a minimum of 600 megawatts of electricity.
The two companies are set to collaborate with utility firms and “regulated power partners” to “identify and advance” new initiatives, according to a press release.
Google added that its work with Elementl Power aims to help the latter meet its target of bringing significant nuclear capacity online by 2025. Over the next decade, the Advanced Nuclear Project Developer plans to introduce more than 10 new gigawatts of capacity.
The agreement between Google and Elementl Power comes about five months after a collaboration with another nuclear firm.
Through that deal, Google is slated to procure nuclear energy from “multiple” small modular reactors being developed by Kairos Power. These reactors are intended to be located near relevant service areas to supply clean energy to Google data centers, starting in 2030, according to Kairos Power.
Big tech companies aren’t just in the hunt for nuclear energy for electricity needs.
Last year, Microsoft formed a power purchase agreement with Constellation. This 20-year deal aims to revitalize the three-mile Island Unit 1 reactor in Pennsylvania.
Microsoft’s deal will reopen the Pennsylvania Nuclear Power Plant, site of a partial meltdown in 1979, to support AI
In October, Amazon announced it had entered into three new agreements to foster nuclear energy projects with Northwest Energy, X-Energy, and Dominion Energy.
A report from Gridstrategies forecasts a 15.8% rise in U.S. electricity demand by 2029, with data centers, manufacturing, and electrification as primary drivers.
Moreover, another report from the International Energy Agency warns that U.S. electricity consumption from data centers could surge by 130% between 2024 and 2030.
As U.S. AI energy demand accelerates, it also opens up chances for energy management
The U.S. Department of Energy reported that about 18% of the nation’s power originated from nuclear energy last year.
