Google joins Big Tech's move into nuclear power, and other top energy stories

Google has signed an agreement to buy power from small modular nuclear reactors, in a move the company has described as a "world first".

The deal with the start-up Kairos Power will help Google meet the increasing demand for electricity created by artificial intelligence.

It will bring up to 500MW of carbon-free power to US electricity grids, the company says, with the first reactor planned to come online by 2030, followed by additional deployments through 2035.

Small modular reactors are advanced reactors with a capacity of up to 300MW per unit – about a third of the power produced by traditional nuclear reactors. With a smaller footprint, these plants can deliver power to areas unsuitable for larger nuclear facilities, are more cost-effective to construct, and can be deployed incrementally to meet rising energy demand.

Big tech firms have signed several agreements with nuclear power companies in recent weeks, with Microsoft agreeing on a deal that will see the reopening of a plant in Pennsylvania, and Amazon buying a nuclear-powered data centre, Reuters reports.

Nuclear power accounts for about 10% of global electricity generation today, and has "significant potential" to contribute to decarbonization in some countries, including those in the G7 and China, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says.

But it will require overcoming hurdles, from mistrust to underinvestment, writes Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Fossil fuel demand will peak by the end of the decade, followed by a new age of electricity, the IEA has said in a release accompanying the latest edition of its annual World Energy Outlook report.

In the second half of this decade, ample or surplus supplies of oil and natural gas would likely lead to lower prices and could enable countries to dedicate more resources to clean energy, moving the world into an "age of electricity", according to IEA Executive Director, Fatih Birol.

However, for clean energy to meet accelerating demand, greater investment in new energy systems – especially in grids and energy storage – is needed, the agency said, adding: "Today, for every dollar spent on renewable power, 60 cents are spent on grids and storage, highlighting how essential supporting infrastructure is not keeping pace with clean energy transitions."

The World Energy Outlook 2024 examines three "overarching and inter-related themes", which it describes as follows:

Solar power in China is leading the global roll-out of clean energy, and by 2030 the country will have half of the world's renewables, the IEA says.

A global goal of tripling renewables capacity by 2030 will require $1.5 trillion in investment per year, the International Renewable Energy Agency says.

A group of oil-producing African countries is seeking $5 billion to fund fossil fuel projects on the continent, the Financial Times (FT) reports.

EU ministers have shown support for nuclear energy as part of the bloc's mandate for the UN climate summit in November.

Fossil fuel accounted for most global energy demand in 2023, despite an uplift in renewables, a report from Italian energy firm Eni says.

Britain is set to allow drones to inspect power lines and wind turbines – a "significant milestone", according to the UK's Civil Aviation Authority.

A US battery start-up, Lyten, is committing more than $1 billion to build the world’s first large-scale factory to produce lithium sulphur batteries, the FT says.

Upgrading Europe's electricity grid is fundamental to the continent's energy transition and to keep it competitive. Public funds won’t be sufficient – the private sector must play a role.

Significant amounts of money, especially in developing markets, are needed for coal phase-out to achieve net zero by 2050. Innovative financing and strong policy support are crucial, three experts from the Carbon Trust explain.

With nuclear energy in the headlines, what is the role of advanced nuclear technologies in the energy transition? This piece explains what you need to know.