Google strikes fusion power deal
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Google inked a power purchase deal with Commonwealth Fusion Systems and boosted its investment in CFS, which hopes to produce commercial-scale energy early next decade.
Why it matters: It's Google's first energy procurement deal with a fusion company.
- It shows how Google — and other hyperscalers — are eyeing a suite of technologies to help meet AI's voracious power needs.
State of play: The agreement announced Monday morning is for 200 megawatts of power from CFS' planned reactor in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
- It also gives Google rights to power offtake from additional CFS reactors.
- And Google is growing its stake in CFS, which it first started funding in 2021, but the companies aren't disclosing terms.
- CFS, an MIT spin-out founded in 2018, has raised over $2 billion.
The big picture: Google has been doing renewables purchase deals since 2010.
- It has branched out to other sources, too, like geothermal and batteries.
- That now includes advanced nuclear, with separate support for deploying small modular reactors in the future.
What we're watching: One of the tech giant's north stars is operating on zero-carbon power around the clock.
- "In 2024, we achieved approximately 66% global average carbon-free energy across our data centers and offices," Google said in a report last week.
The bottom line: Google calls fusion a bet worth taking, despite uncertainties, head of advanced energy Michael Terrell told reporters Friday.
- "Yes, there are some serious physics and engineering challenges that we still have to work through to make it commercially viable and scalable, but that's something that we want to be investing in now to realize that future," he said.
