What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Google has not switched its data centers to a private nuclear plant. It has committed to help develop up to 500 megawatts of advanced-reactor capacity with Kairos Power, with the first 50-MW project in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, targeted to supply the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) grid in 2030.
The first reactor, Hermes 2, broke ground on April 17, 2026, but it is still under construction and must complete operating authorization, testing, fuel, grid-connection and other regulatory steps. Google’s initial arrangement is therefore a staged clean-energy procurement program, not electricity flowing directly from a reactor to a Google campus.
What Google actually signed
On October 14, 2024, Google and Kairos announced a Master Plant Development Agreement covering a potential fleet of Kairos advanced reactors. Kairos described it as the first U.S. corporate agreement covering multiple deployments of one advanced-reactor design; Google called it the world’s first corporate agreement to purchase nuclear energy from multiple small modular reactors.
The agreement targets up to 500 MW by 2035, with the first deployment targeted for 2030. It is a development and deployment pathway, not proof that 500 MW has already been financed, licensed, built or commissioned. Kairos is responsible for developing, constructing and operating projects and selling energy, ancillary services and environmental attributes under power-purchase agreements (PPAs).
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →#1 Best Overall
- 1500VA/900W UPS: Eight NEMA 5-15R outlets provide reliable UPS battery backup & surge protection for servers, computers, and peripherals. The six-foot NEMA 5-15P input power cord ensures easy connection to compatible AC outlets
- 2U RACK MOUNT UPS: Versatile mounting options in 2U rackmount space or vertical tower with included adapter. Ideal for small servers, network devices, desktop PCs, monitors, workstations, entertainment systems, wireless routers, and more
- AUTOMATIC VOLTAGE REGULATION: AVR corrects brownouts and overvoltages from 75V to 147V back to safe 120V without using battery power. Features Modified Sine Wave (PWM) output in battery mode and Sine Wave in AC mode for low total harmonic distortion
- ADVANCED POWER FEATURES: User-replaceable internal batteries and RJ45 Ethernet port for dataline surge protection up to 100 Mbps. The large rotatable LCD screen monitors operations like voltage, runtime, load, battery, and operating mode
- FULLY SUPPORTED: Protected by a 3-Year Limited Manufacturer's Warranty and a $250,000 Ultimate Connected Equipment insurance. To best support your purchase, Eaton's expert technical team is available via phone, web, or email to address any concerns
That 2024 commitment is separate from the later PPA structure for the first project. In the Hermes 2 arrangement, Kairos develops the plant, TVA purchases its electricity for the utility grid, and Google procures associated clean-energy attributes for data-center demand.
Google’s 2024 announcement and Kairos’ announcement provide the original terms.
Hermes 2 is the first project—and power is still years away
Hermes 2 is a commercial-scale demonstration plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Kairos broke ground on April 17, 2026. It is designed to supply up to 50 MW to the TVA grid and is scheduled to begin operations in 2030, subject to remaining construction and regulatory work.
| Item | Current detail |
|---|---|
| Developer and operator | Kairos Power |
| Location | Oak Ridge, Tennessee |
| Planned output | Up to 50 MW |
| Grid buyer | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Google data-center region | Montgomery County, Tennessee, and Jackson County, Alabama |
| Target operations | 2030; schedule is not guaranteed |
| Project status | Groundbreaking completed April 17, 2026; construction and licensing work continue |
TVA’s role matters. The first announced project is grid-connected rather than a behind-the-meter reactor physically attached to a Google data center. The announced electricity and accounting flow is:
- Kairos develops and operates Hermes 2.
- Hermes 2 sells electricity to TVA.
- TVA delivers electricity through its grid.
- Google procures clean-energy attributes associated with the project to support its regional data-center energy accounting.
That means clean-energy attributes should not be described as proof that every electron consumed by a particular Google facility came directly from Hermes 2.
Sources: Google’s TVA and Hermes 2 announcement and Kairos’ groundbreaking release.
Why Google wants nuclear power
AI training, inference and cloud services are increasing data-center electricity demand. Those facilities need dependable power around the clock, while solar and wind output varies with weather and time of day. Nuclear generation can provide firm, low-carbon electricity that complements rather than replaces renewable energy.
Google’s stated objective is 24/7 carbon-free energy on every grid where it operates. A grid-connected nuclear project can help provide firm generation in the same regional system as its data centers, while Google continues using renewable contracts and other clean-energy measures. The arrangement also gives Google a potential long-term customer role as Kairos moves from demonstrations toward repeat deployments.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Rank #2
- UPS BATTERY BACKUP & SURGE PROTECTOR: 600VA / 325W UPS provides 10-outlets total. Five outlets provide both battery backup and surge protection, and five outlets provide only surge protection. Features 316 joules of surge protection.
- EXTEND RUNTIME: Provides enough time to save files or shutdown equipment during longer outages. Runtime varies on wattage load and environment. A 20W wifi router is supported for 67 minutes, a 100W TV for 9.3 minutes, or a 200W PC for 3 minutes.
- ADVANCED POWER FEATURES: UPS filters out disruptive EMI/ RFI disturbances that can cause hardware damage. LED lights indicate protection status, overloads, and low/replace battery alert. Resettable circuit breaker protects equipment.
- USER-FRIENDLY: Provides 5ft power cord & bottom keyhole tabs that make the battery backup under-desk and wall mountable. Internal battery is easily user replaceable. Remains silent during normal operation, only alarming you of low battery or faults.
- FULLY SUPPORTED: Protected by a 3-Year Limited Manufacturer's Warranty and a $100,000 Ultimate Connected Equipment insurance. To best support your purchase, Eaton's expert technical team is available via phone, web, or email to address any concerns
The significance is therefore commercial as well as technical: an early corporate buyer may help a new reactor company develop licensing, manufacturing, construction and operating experience across a fleet instead of relying on one isolated first-of-a-kind plant.
What Kairos is building
Kairos is developing a fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (KP-FHR). Its design uses molten fluoride salt as coolant and TRISO-coated particle fuel in a ceramic pebble-style format. Compared with conventional water-cooled reactors, the system is intended to operate at relatively low pressure.
Kairos presents the design as having passive or inherent safety characteristics. Those are design goals and company claims, not independently demonstrated commercial operating results. Real-world performance, economics and safety depend on regulatory review, construction quality and operating experience.
Kairos’ technology overview describes a basic two-reactor configuration with a shared power-conversion system capable of up to 150 MWe. That is one reason the broader 500-MW program should not be read as a single 500-MW reactor. Kairos’ iterative-development material also describes an initial six-reactor, 450-MWe program; that figure is a staged program description and does not exactly equal the headline “up to 500 MW” commitment.
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallTechnical references: Kairos technology page and Kairos iterative-development page.
What “Gen IV” means—and what it does not mean
“Generation IV” is a broad category for advanced reactor concepts, not one standardized machine. “Advanced reactor” is the wider industry term; “small modular reactor” generally describes reactor size and a modular deployment strategy. A design can be an SMR without being Gen IV, and the Gen IV label does not mean a technology is commercially proven.
Hermes 2 is both commercial-scale and a demonstration project. It is intended to produce power while validating the reactor design, licensing approach, supply chain, construction methods and operating performance before a larger fleet is built.
For that reason, the most accurate description of the 2024 deal is a first-of-its-kind corporate agreement for multiple advanced SMR deployments—not the first U.S. nuclear power-purchase agreement of any kind. In 2025, TVA described the Hermes 2 arrangement as the first U.S. utility PPA to purchase electricity from an advanced Gen IV reactor.
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #3
- 2000VA/1200W PFC Sine Wave Battery Backup Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) System designed to support active PFC and conventional power supplies; Safeguards security systems, audio/visual equipment, and networking devices
- EIGHT NEMA 5-20R OUTLETS: Provides battery backup & surge protection for connected devices; INPUT: NEMA 5-20P with six foot power cord
- MULTIFUNCTION, COLOR LCD PANEL: Displays immediate, detailed information on battery and power conditions; Color display alerts users to potential issues before they can affect critical equipment and cause downtime
- SHORT-DEPTH RACKMOUNT: 10.8 inches in depth, the UPS fits comfortably in short-depth rack installations where space is at a premium; AUTOMATIC VOLTAGE REGULATION: Corrects minor power fluctuations without switching to battery power, extending battery life
- 3-YEAR WARRANTY – INCLUDING THE BATTERY; $500,000 Connected Equipment Guarantee; FREE PowerPanel Management Software (Download); UL SAFETY CERTIFIED: Product has been tested in a UL certified lab and listed with UL as meeting or exceeding safety standards
What has been permitted and built
Kairos’ earlier Hermes low-power demonstration reactor received a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) construction permit in 2023. Hermes 2 received construction permits in November 2024, according to the NRC project listing and contemporaneous reporting.
A construction permit is not an operating license. Hermes 2 must still complete construction, obtain the applicable operating authorization, load fuel, finish testing and satisfy grid and other regulatory requirements before it can produce commercial electricity.
Track the project through the NRC Hermes 2 page. Background on the TVA arrangement and remaining licensing steps is also reported by the Associated Press.
What could delay or change the plan
- First-of-a-kind construction: Early projects can encounter design changes, manufacturing problems and cost overruns.
- Licensing schedules: Construction authorization and operating authorization are separate milestones.
- Fuel: Many next-generation reactor concepts require specialized fuels, including high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), whose availability can affect schedules.
- Supply chain: Specialized materials, salt systems, fuel production and nuclear-grade manufacturing must be scaled.
- Grid and siting: Interconnection, transmission and site approvals can take longer than reactor construction assumptions.
- Commercial commitments: A corporate agreement is not a final investment decision for every future reactor in the 500-MW target.
Kairos’ own staged-development description emphasizes learning, licensing, supply-chain development and construction certainty. Individual projects could therefore change scope, location, design or timing.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsHow this fits Google’s other nuclear plans
Google is also supporting preliminary advanced-nuclear siting work with Elementl Power. The U.S. Department of Energy said in May 2025 that Google provided early-stage capital for three possible U.S. sites, each envisioned at at least 600 MW. Technology selection and final site confirmation were still pending development milestones in that account.
That Elementl initiative is separate from the Kairos agreement. Its possible capacity should not be added to the 500-MW Kairos figure.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy.
What success would prove
If Hermes 2 reaches operation, it would show that a U.S. non-light-water reactor can progress from testing and licensing to power production. It could give Kairos practical experience with operations, fuel, construction and regulation, while creating a reference project for repeat orders.
That outcome remains conditional. The 50-MW plant is the immediate project; the 500-MW figure is a multi-year ceiling or target, and future deployments remain subject to financing, licensing, siting, construction and performance.
The Bottom Line
Google’s deal is a significant early commitment to advanced nuclear power, but it is not an operating nuclear supply system for Google today. The first project, Kairos’ 50-MW Hermes 2 plant, is under construction in Tennessee, will sell electricity to TVA’s grid, and is targeted—not guaranteed—to begin operations in 2030.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
