Alphabet’s Google has partnered with Kairos Power to deploy an advanced nuclear reactor to power the tech company’s data centers on the Tennessee Valley Authority grid. The Hermes 2 reactor, developed by Kairos, will dispatch 50 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 36,000 homes.
TVA will purchase the electricity from the reactor, making it the first utility in the US to sign an offtake agreement with an advanced nuclear plant. The agreement ensures that consumers are not on the hook for the cost of building the plant, as Google and Kairos will bear the financial risk.
The Hermes 2 project aims to commercialize advanced nuclear technology, with Google investing a total of 500 megawatts in reactors targeting a 2035 launch. Kairos’ CEO Mike Laufer believes that the standardized reactor design will help reduce costs for future deployments.
The reactor’s design uses liquid salt as the coolant, allowing it to operate at near atmospheric pressure and reducing material costs. The project is expected to start operating at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 2030, with a commercial scale launch planned for the following year.
This collaboration marks a significant step forward in deploying advanced nuclear reactors in the US, with Google and Kairos aiming to create a regional hub for innovation in nuclear construction and operation.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/18/google-kairos-nuclear-smr-tennessee-valley-authority-tva-data-center-ai.html