The recent announcement of the collaboration between Google, Kairos Power and the Tennessee Valley Authority to finance, build and operate the first of its kind advanced nuclear reactor, Hermes 2, is a transformational milestone for America as we prepare to meet the rapidly growing energy demands of the future.
This collaboration embodies American technological innovation in a business model prioritizing reliable, affordable, clean energy.
Hermes 2 offers a solution to America’s energy infrastructure challenge in the form of safer, more efficient nuclear technologies accelerating the generation of reliable, affordable, clean energy.
Serving as a business model for future nuclear generation, the Hermes 2 will be the first advanced nuclear reactor brought online under a power purchase agreement to provide electricity in alignment with TVA’s mission of energy, environmental stewardship and economic development in the Tennessee Valley. Looking forward, TVA will have the option to expand this business model within the Tennessee Valley region.
The Google, Kairos Power, TVA partnership is a win-win-win with Google and Kairos Power mitigating cost risk to the ratepayers while the Hermes 2 reactor safely and reliably generates clean electricity that will enhance the Tennessee Valley’s economy.
With low electricity rates and high reliability, the Tennessee Valley has become a leader in attracting technology companies — evidenced by TVA having roughly 11,000 megawatts of requests from AI, data centers and crypto companies.
This demand, coupled with business model creativity, puts TVA in a strong position for the future.
Everything we do and everything we use requires energy.
In 2023, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed executive order 101 establishing the Tennessee Energy Advisory Council to position the state as a national leader in nuclear innovation. Toward that goal, the recently launched Tennessee Nuclear Network’s mission is to strengthen Tennessee’s leadership in deploying safe, reliable, clean nuclear energy.
Through implementing the network’s mission of promoting nuclear innovation, developing a skilled workforce and driving economic development through capital investment in the advanced nuclear industry, the result will be collaboration between industry, government and academia optimizing policy that will accelerate America’s nuclear energy future.
Speaking of America’s nuclear energy future, TVA and Entra1 Energy have announced a landmark 6-gigawatt NuScale Small Modular Reactor Deployment Program which will be the largest in U.S. history. TVA and Entra1 Energy’s partnership is in lock step with the Trump administration’s vision of America’s energy dominance.
Winston Churchill said, “To improve is to change. To become perfect is to change often.”
The Google, Kairos Power, TVA and the TVA-Entra1 Energy partnership is a change that accelerates deployment of American advanced nuclear technology to meet the growth in demand for electricity through a business model that reduces cost risk to ratepayers while powering AI, data centers, crypto companies and today’s digital quality of life.
These partnerships are the creative change we need for a brighter future — and that deserves our support.
Glenn McCullough Jr., a former chairman of TVA and former mayor of Tupelo, Mississippi, is a senior advisor at BSS Global.