NextEra Energy and Google Cloud announced a significant expansion of their ongoing collaboration, creating a partnership designed to develop multiple gigawatt (GW)-scale data center campuses across the United States.

This new initiative builds upon a substantial existing portfolio between the two companies, which already encompasses approximately 3.5 GW of power capacity that is either currently in operation or under contract.

The deal addresses the escalating energy requirements of the technology sector, a trend further highlighted by the companies’ recent agreements to add 600 megawatts of clean energy capacity to the electricity grid in Oklahoma.

The companies are currently in the active development phase for the first three campuses under this new agreement and have set a target of mid-2026 for the release of their first commercial technology product on the Google Cloud Marketplace.

Accelerate deployment of data centers

This collaborative effort focuses on accelerating the deployment of data centers by systematically addressing critical infrastructure hurdles.

These challenges include land acquisition, managing load interconnection, and the simultaneous development of supporting power generation resources needed to sustain large-scale artificial intelligence operations.A central component of this energy strategy involves the revitalization of nuclear power capabilities to support the electrical grid.

“Most recently, the companies announced the restart of the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa followed by two new long-term power purchase agreements to add 600 megawatts of clean energy capacity to Oklahoma’s electricity grid to support Google’s technology infrastructure,” noted a press release.

To facilitate this restart, NextEra Energy has formally requested that the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) restore grid connection rights for the shuttered facility.

This regulatory filing seeks to reclaim interconnection rights that had previously been transferred from the nuclear plant to a planned solar energy project at the same site.

The move follows a licensing change request that NextEra filed with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in January, marking a distinct shift from solar back to nuclear baseload power to meet steady demand.

Digital transformation of operations

Beyond the construction of physical infrastructure, the partnership will implement a digital transformation of NextEra Energy’s operations using Google Cloud’s artificial intelligence tools.

This integration will utilize Google’s “TimesFM 2.5” time-series open-source forecasting model and the “WeatherNext 2” weather forecasting system. By combining these AI capabilities with NextEra’s proprietary asset data, the companies aim to improve grid reliability and resilience.

“Pairing NextEra Energy’s capabilities with Google’s latest time-series open source forecasting model, weather forecasting model and security-constrained power flow modeling will give NextEra Energy and its customers better insights into system optimization opportunities, enhancing utilities’ planning and grid management efforts to keep costs affordable while making electric service more reliable and resilient,” highlighted the press release.

This approach is designed to maintain safety and reduce operational costs for both the utility and its customers, particularly as the grid faces challenges from aging assets and unprecedented load growth.

NextEra Energy Chairman and CEO John Ketchum characterized the partnership as a reflection of the current moment where the energy and technology sectors are becoming increasingly intertwined. He noted that the joint effort intends to build infrastructure at scale and change how energy companies function.

Similarly, Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian stated that combining NextEra’s domain expertise with Google’s AI infrastructure is necessary to support the digital future of energy infrastructure and meet the rising demand for AI technologies.

https://interestingengineering.com/energy/nuclear-powered-gigawatt-ai-campuses-google