Google’s Nuclear Gambit 2025: How SMRs Are Powering the AI Revolution

Industry Adoption: Google’s Shift from SMR Catalyst to Ecosystem Architect

Between 2021 and 2024, Google’s engagement with Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) was defined by a single, seismic event: the October 2024 Master Plant Development Agreement with Kairos Power. This world-first corporate PPA for a 500 MW fleet of SMRs was a foundational move, positioning Google as a critical catalyst for the nascent advanced nuclear market. The company used its balance sheet to provide a bankable offtake agreement, a crucial signal of demand designed to de-risk the commercialization of Kairos Power’s advanced molten salt reactor technology. During this period, Google’s strategy was narrow but deep: a singular, high-stakes bet on one Generation IV technology to solve its long-term, baseload, carbon-free energy problem. The primary application was clear—powering future data centers—but the execution path relied entirely on a single partner and an unproven commercial-scale technology.

Beginning in 2025, Google’s strategy underwent a rapid and sophisticated evolution, shifting from a focused catalyst to a diversified ecosystem architect. The company moved beyond its foundational Kairos agreement to a multi-pronged approach that mitigates risk and accelerates deployment across different timelines and technologies. This is evidenced by the October 2025 partnership with NextEra Energy—a $1.6 billion deal to restart the *existing* 615 MW Duane Arnold nuclear plant in Iowa. This move provides a faster path to large-scale, carbon-free power using proven technology, serving as a pragmatic hedge against the ambitious 2030 timeline for Kairos’s first SMR. Concurrently, Google moved up the value chain by providing early-stage capital to site developer Elementl Power in May 2025 to prepare a 1.8 GW project pipeline. This proactive investment in site development signals a long-term strategy to build a robust project funnel, not just purchase power from individual plants. Furthermore, the November 2025 Westinghouse partnership to integrate Google’s AI into nuclear operations shows a new commercial application: leveraging its core competency in technology to create efficiency and safety tools for the entire industry. This variety tells us that Google’s adoption has matured from a simple buyer-seller relationship to a strategic effort to build and shape the entire advanced nuclear ecosystem, from site development and financing to operational technology.

Table: Google’s Strategic SMR Nuclear Investments (2025)

Table: Google’s Key SMR Nuclear Partnerships (2024–2025)

Geography: Google’s Shift to a Targeted, Regional Nuclear Strategy

Between 2021 and 2024, Google’s nuclear ambitions were geographically broad but physically limited. The focus was entirely within the United States, anchored by the landmark agreement with California-based Kairos Power. The only concrete geographical pin on the map was Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the site of Kairos Power’s non-commercial Hermes demonstration reactor. While the 500 MW PPA stipulated a future fleet of reactors in the U.S., their locations were undefined. This tells us the strategy was national in scope but lacked specific regional execution plans, focusing first on validating the technology and commercial model before committing to specific sites to power its data centers.

From 2025 onwards, Google’s geographic strategy has become highly specific and regionalized, directly aligning nuclear power projects with its key data center clusters. The August 2025 agreement with Kairos Power and the TVA to offtake 50 MW from the Hermes 2 plant in Tennessee explicitly targets the decarbonization of Google’s data centers in Tennessee and Alabama. This was followed by the October 2025 deal with NextEra to restart the Duane Arnold plant in Iowa, a clear move to secure a massive power source for its significant data center footprint in that state. This pattern indicates a shift from a generalized national approach to a focused, hub-and-spoke model. Furthermore, the May 2025 agreement with Elementl Power to fund the development of three potential 600 MW sites across the U.S. signals a new, proactive phase. Google is now investing in creating a pipeline of future site options, which will give it the flexibility to align gigawatt-scale nuclear development with its next wave of data center expansion, wherever that may be. This represents a significant new risk, as Google is now exposed to the complexities of early-stage site selection and development.

Technology Maturity: Google’s Diversification from Advanced SMRs to a Full-Spectrum Nuclear Portfolio

In the 2021–2024 period, Google’s technology focus was singular and forward-looking, centered entirely on Kairos Power’s Fluoride Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor (KP-FHR). This is a Generation IV technology that had not yet been commercially deployed. The key validation point was the NRC’s 2023 construction permit for the 35 MW *demonstration* reactor, Project Hermes, a non-power-generating testbed. Google’s 2024 PPA was a bet on this technology successfully transitioning from demonstration to commercial scale. The data shows Google was willing to underwrite a pre-commercial technology, with the entire strategy’s success hinging on the maturation of this one advanced reactor design.

In 2025, Google’s approach to technology maturity diversified dramatically into a sophisticated portfolio strategy. While it continues to push advanced reactors toward commercialization with the 50 MW PPA for Kairos Power’s *commercial* Hermes 2 plant, it has simultaneously embraced mature, proven technology. The $1.6 billion plan to restart the Duane Arnold plant with NextEra Energy leverages existing, large-scale nuclear technology as a lower-risk, faster path to obtaining hundreds of megawatts of carbon-free power by 2028. This move shows a pragmatic understanding that relying solely on novel SMRs and their 2030+ timelines is insufficient. At the same time, Google has moved into technology enablement. The November 2025 partnership with Westinghouse to apply its proprietary AI to SMR operations, including the AP300™ design, positions Google as a technology provider to the nuclear industry, not just a consumer. This trend indicates Google is no longer just waiting for SMRs to mature; it is actively using its capital and technical expertise to de-risk and accelerate a spectrum of nuclear technologies, from scaling first-of-a-kind advanced reactors to optimizing existing ones.

Table: SWOT Analysis of Google’s SMR Nuclear Strategy

Forward-Looking Insights: From Buyer to Builder in the Nuclear Renaissance

The data from 2025 signals that Google is no longer just a customer for nuclear power; it is an active architect of the industry’s future. The year ahead will be defined by the transition from announcements to execution. The most critical signal to watch is the progress of Kairos Power’s commercial licensing application with the NRC for the Hermes 2 plant. Any movement on this front will be the most significant validator—or invalidator—of the ambitious 2030 operational timeline. A second key signal is the restart of the Duane Arnold plant. Its successful refurbishment and return to service by the 2028 target will prove that reviving existing nuclear assets is a viable, near-term strategy for the tech industry, likely triggering similar moves by competitors.

Looking forward, expect Google to announce the specific locations for the Elementl Power sites. This will reveal the next geographic frontier for its data center growth and provide a clear roadmap for its gigawatt-scale nuclear ambitions into the 2030s. Finally, the market should watch for the first commercial products emerging from the Westinghouse AI partnership in mid-2026. This will signal whether Google can successfully extend its business model from consuming energy to selling high-value digital services back to the energy sector. The overarching trend is clear: Google is playing a long game, balancing high-risk, high-reward bets on advanced SMRs with pragmatic investments in proven technology to secure its AI-powered future. Its strategy is now the blueprint for how big tech will finance the next era of nuclear energy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Google investing in nuclear energy?
Google is investing in nuclear energy to secure a reliable, 24/7 source of carbon-free baseload power. This is essential to meet the massive and growing energy demands of its AI and data center operations, a need that intermittent renewables cannot fully satisfy on their own.

How did Google’s nuclear strategy change in 2025?
Before 2025, Google had a narrow strategy focused on a single partnership with Kairos Power to develop advanced SMRs. In 2025, its strategy diversified significantly. It now includes restarting existing nuclear plants (Duane Arnold), funding early-stage site development for future projects (Elementl Power), and providing its AI technology to improve nuclear operations (Westinghouse), making it an ‘ecosystem architect’ rather than just a power buyer.

Is Google only investing in new, experimental SMRs?
No. While Google continues to support advanced SMRs like those from Kairos Power, its 2025 strategy includes a major investment in proven, existing technology. The article highlights the $1.6 billion deal to refurbish and restart the conventional Duane Arnold nuclear plant in Iowa, which provides a faster, lower-risk path to securing large-scale carbon-free power.

What are the main risks involved in Google’s nuclear strategy?
The primary risks have shifted from a general energy shortage to specific project-level challenges. These include potential regulatory delays from the NRC for new reactor designs, the high cost and execution risk of building first-of-a-kind (FOAK) SMRs like the Kairos Power project, and challenges in establishing new fuel supply chains for advanced reactors.

How is Google using its AI expertise in the nuclear sector?
Google is leveraging its core competency in AI by partnering with nuclear technology company Westinghouse. The goal is to integrate Google’s ‘Hive’ AI infrastructure into nuclear plant operations, including the AP300™ SMR design, to enhance operational efficiency, safety, and predictive maintenance. This positions Google as a technology provider to the industry, not just a consumer of its energy.