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NewsClimate & Energy

Google signs 20-year deal to fund 890 MW of nuclear uprates at Constellation plants in the PJM region

Google agreed on 6 October to buy power for 20 years from 890 MW of added capacity at 11 existing Constellation reactors, with the first upgrade expected by 2028 and the rest by 2032; the price was not disclosed.

Evidence: 3 sources · 1 official record · 2 independent reports · 3 open questions

By Happened in AI Editors

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What happened

  • On 6 October, Google and Constellation Energy announced a 20-year power purchase agreement tied to 890 MW of additional nuclear capacity on the PJM grid.
  • The capacity is to come from uprates (equipment upgrades that raise output) at 11 existing reactor units across six plants in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
  • The first uprate is expected by 2028, and the full 890 MW before the end of 2032.
  • A separate 15-year agreement covers a further 2,700 MW of Constellation's existing generation in PJM. Prices for both were not disclosed.

Why it matters

Uprates add capacity to existing sites faster than building new reactors, so this shows one way large AI buyers are trying to get firm power without waiting a decade for new plants or long grid queues.

What is confirmed and what is claimed

Confirmed

  • The 20-year agreement, the 890 MW figure, the 11 units at six plants, and the 2028 to 2032 timeline (company announcement; also reported by Utility Dive and the American Nuclear Society's Nuclear Newswire). 123
  • The separate 15-year agreement for 2,700 MW of operating Constellation generation in PJM (company announcement; reported by trade outlets). 1
  • Financial terms were not disclosed (company announcement; Utility Dive). 12

Claimed, not independently verified

  • Constellation says it will invest more than $4.3 billion in the uprates and that the work will create about 7,200 construction jobs.
  • The companies describe the uprated output as new nuclear capacity for the grid. It comes from existing reactors, not new plants.

Google has agreed to buy electricity for 20 years from extra capacity that Constellation Energy plans to add to its existing nuclear fleet. Rather than building new reactors, Constellation will carry out uprates: replacing or upgrading equipment such as turbines so that reactors already running can produce more power.

The 890 MW figure is capacity, meaning the additional output the plants could deliver at any moment. At high nuclear capacity factors, that would amount to several terawatt-hours a year, but the companies have not published an annual energy figure. The work spans 11 reactor units at six plants in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, all in the territory of PJM Interconnection, the grid operator for much of the eastern United States.

Context

PJM's region holds the world's largest concentration of data centers, and its operator has forecast that most of its load growth to 2030 will come from them. Tech companies have signed several nuclear agreements in the past two years, including restarts of shut plants and offtake deals for small modular reactors that do not yet exist. Uprates sit between the two: they need regulatory approval and engineering work, but use sites that are already connected to the grid.

A separate 15-year agreement covers 2,700 MW of power from Constellation plants that are already operating. Buying existing output does not add supply to the grid, which is why the two parts of the deal are worth reading separately. See our explainer on AI energy use.

What to watch

  • Nuclear Regulatory Commission filings for the individual uprates.
  • Whether the first uprate arrives by 2028, as planned.
  • Any disclosure of pricing, in company filings or state proceedings.

What we don’t know yet

  • The price Google will pay, and how the cost compares with other sources of power.
  • The split of the 890 MW across the 11 units, which has not been published.
  • Whether the uprates stay on schedule and secure the required Nuclear Regulatory Commission approvals.

Evidence and sources

  1. Primary announcement Google and Constellation Announce Landmark Agreement to Bring 890 MW of New Nuclear Capacity to PJM Grid as Part of Long-Term Power Deal Constellation Energy ·
  2. Independent reporting Constellation, Google strike 890-MW nuclear deal in PJM Utility Dive
  3. Independent reporting Google, Constellation reach 11-unit uprate plan; Constellation to invest $4.3 billion American Nuclear Society (Nuclear Newswire)

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