Google will secure an additional 890 MW of generating capacity from existing U.S. nuclear power plants to meet surging power demand from AI data centres.

On Oct. 7 local time, Japanese outlet ITmedia reported that Google and Constellation Energy signed a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to supply 890 MW of new nuclear generation capacity to PJM, a large power grid in the eastern United States. Rather than building new nuclear plants, the companies will raise output by upgrading turbines, steam generators and control systems at 11 reactors across six nuclear plants in Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The first additional supply will be delivered in 2028 and the overall project is due to be completed before 2032.

Constellation Energy will invest at least $4.3 billion (about 5.75 trillion won) in the project. It expects to maintain about 4,400 existing jobs and support about 7,200 jobs during construction. Separately, the two companies also signed a 15-year power supply agreement covering 2,700 MW of existing PJM generation assets.

They will also expand technical cooperation. Constellation Energy will use Google Cloud's Gemini Enterprise for site selection, power flow analysis, permitting and grid connection planning, and monitoring equipment conditions. It will also apply Google's cloud technology to protect nuclear plant operational technology (OT) networks.

Google stressed that the structure does not pass investment costs on to ordinary power consumers. It also aligns with PJM's Bring Your Own New Generation approach, which encourages large power users to secure new generation sources together.

Including this agreement, the new nuclear capacity that Google has supported in the United States through uprates and nuclear plant restarts has exceeded 1.5 GW. Google is also investing in restarting the Duane Arnold nuclear plant in Iowa and uprating existing nuclear plants in Georgia. The company expects related projects coming online by 2030 to account for about 25 percent of the U.S. Energy Department's 5 GW target to expand existing nuclear power plants.

As electricity demand from AI data centres surges, competition among Big Tech to secure nuclear power is also intensifying. Constellation Energy has signed long-term nuclear power deals with Amazon recently, following Microsoft and Meta.