Google to back three new nuclear projects

Google announced today the launch of a new collaboration with South Carolina-based nuclear project developer Elementl Power, including an agreement to invest in three advanced nuclear energy projects. The agreement comes as Google and its tech giant peers increasingly turn to nuclear energy to help address the growing emissions impact of their rapidly expanding data center footprints. While Google has set 2030 goals to reach net zero emissions across its operations and value chain, and to reduce 50% of its combined Scope 1, 2, and 3 absolute emissions, on a 2019 basis, the company recently reported that its emissions increased by 13% in 2023, and are up by 48% since 2019, as its growing data center electricity consumption has outpaced its ability to bring carbon free energy projects online. Google has also set a goal in 2020 to operate on 24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE) by 2030, matching electricity demand with CFE supply every hour of every day, in every region where the company operat ... Read full article.