Google and Constellation unveil ‘AI for Energy’ plan to boost nuclear power for power grid
Google and Constellation Energy announced a deal Tuesday to increase production at existing U.S. nuclear power plants and use Google’s artificial intelligence tools to help manage energy operations.
Under a 20-year power purchase agreement, Google will support the upgrade of 11 Constellation-owned nuclear units in Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The companies say the work will add 890 megawatts of electricity to PJM’s power grid, which serves about 67 million people in 13 states and Washington, DC.
The added power is roughly equal to the power of a new nuclear reactor, but companies aren’t building them. Instead, Constellation will upgrade equipment at its existing plants, including turbines, steam generators and digital control systems. The first power increase is expected in 2028.
The companies also announced an “AI for Energy” plan that will bring Google Cloud and Gemini Enterprise tools to Constellation.
Constellation plans to use the technology to help choose sites, model energy flows, expedite permitting and grid connections, monitor equipment and manage outages. Google technology will also be used to help protect critical energy infrastructure.
“We are committed to meeting our growth responsibly by actively investing in clean, reliable energy that brings new capabilities to our nation’s grids,” Amanda Peterson Corio, Google’s global head of energy and power, said in a press release announcing the deal.
Constellation said the nuclear upgrades represent more than $4.3 billion in investment and are expected to create approximately 7,200 construction jobs while supporting approximately 4,400 existing jobs.
Google and Constellation also signed a separate 15-year deal covering 2,700 megawatts of Constellation’s existing power generation and agreed to explore additional energy projects in the United States.
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