Google Partners with Constellation Energy to Boost US Nuclear Power Capacity by 890 MW
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Google's new agreement with Constellation Energy adds 890 MW of clean nuclear power to the PJM grid, raising Google's total enabled nuclear capacity in the US to over 1.5 GW through uprates and restarts of existing plants.
Google has announced a significant collaboration with Constellation Energy aimed at increasing the United States' clean energy capacity through nuclear power. This partnership will bring an additional 890 megawatts (MW) of nuclear capacity to the PJM grid, which covers 13 states in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest, serving around 67 million people. This expansion raises the total new nuclear capacity enabled by Google from uprates and restarts of existing facilities to more than 1.5 gigawatts (GW).
The upgrade involves physical and digital improvements at six operating nuclear plants across Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. These enhancements will modernize turbines, steam generators, and digital control systems, effectively increasing the power output of existing reactors—a process known as nuclear uprates. The project supports approximately 4,400 existing jobs and is expected to create around 7,200 new construction jobs.
Google's long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) serves as the anchor customer, providing Constellation Energy with the reliable revenue needed to make these investments without imposing costs on other grid customers. By leaning on existing infrastructure, this strategy delivers new megawatts more quickly and cost-effectively than building new reactors from scratch, adding firm, 24/7 clean power equivalent to the output of a large new reactor several years sooner.
In addition to physical upgrades, Constellation Energy will utilize Google Cloud’s Gemini Enterprise, an agentic workflow platform, to optimize plant operations, streamline uprate planning, and accelerate construction. This digital integration aims to bring the additional nuclear capacity online more efficiently and securely.
This initiative aligns with the U.S. Department of Energy's goal to add 5 GW of nuclear capacity nationwide by 2030 through uprates and restarts. Google's nuclear projects are expected to contribute nearly 25% toward this target by decade’s end. Beyond this deal, Google has collaborations supporting nuclear population growth in Georgia, Iowa, and Tennessee, focusing on uprates, restarts, and advanced nuclear reactor development.
Google’s expanding portfolio of nuclear partnerships underscores its commitment to sustainable, reliable, and affordable energy to power its growing data center infrastructure and strengthen local grids, all while supporting workforce development and regional economic growth. This approach exemplifies Google's broader strategy to scale clean firm energy technologies critical for a stable, decarbonized electricity system in the United States.
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