Google Commits to 890MW Nuclear Expansion with 20-Year Constellation Deal

Google and Constellation Energy have inked a landmark 20-year agreement to boost nuclear power capacity in the eastern US. The deal will add 890 megawatts (MW) of nuclear energy to the grid by upgrading 11 existing reactors across six sites in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. These upgrades, known as 'uprates,' will involve replacing turbines, steam generators, and control systems to enhance each reactor's output. The first upgrade is set for 2028, with all 890MW expected to be operational by the end of 2032.

Constellation will invest over $4.3 billion in the project, creating approximately 7,200 construction jobs and retaining around 4,400 existing positions. While the exact financial commitment from Google remains undisclosed, Bloomberg estimates it at $1 billion or more. The power generated will be fed into the PJM grid, serving 67 million people in 13 states, with Google as the primary buyer. Other power users will not bear the cost of these upgrades.

The agreement also includes a separate 15-year supply deal for 2,700MW from Constellation’s existing plants. Additionally, Constellation will utilize Google’s Gemini Enterprise AI tools for site planning and management under a five-year deal. 'Preserving and expanding the output of the existing nuclear fleet and developing new clean generation is critical to meeting our nation’s growing energy needs,' said Joe Dominguez, Constellation’s chief executive.

With this deal, Google has enabled more than 1.5 gigawatts (GW) of US nuclear capacity through uprates and restarts. This includes the Duane Arnold plant in Iowa and uprates at Georgia Power reactors. The company has also joined Nvidia in an industry alliance to reduce data center energy use during grid strains, incorporating similar demand-response measures in the Constellation deal.

Constellation already supplies nuclear power to other tech giants, including Microsoft, which agreed in 2024 to restart a unit at Three Mile Island, and Meta, which purchases output from the Clinton plant in Illinois.