Google Vows To Cover Full Cost Of Boosting Three States’ Nuclear Plants To Power Its AI Growth
Google will pay to upgrade 11 nuclear reactors across three states — adding as much power as a new large reactor — as data center demand climbs.
Simon August · Oct 7, 2026 · 3 min read
Google will pay to upgrade 11 nuclear reactors across three states — adding as much power as a new large reactor — as data center demand climbs.
The 20-year agreement with Constellation Energy, announced Tuesday, will add 890 megawatts at reactors in Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with the first upgrade expected by 2028, the companies said. A Google spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation the company will pay the full cost of the new power it needs.
“Under these nuclear uprate agreements, Google is covering Constellation’s costs to invest in new capacity, make necessary transmission upgrades, and manage ongoing operations,” the spokesperson said. “This ensures Google pays the full cost of the new generation required to meet its demand, while also supporting the ongoing operations of Constellation’s existing assets—costs that might otherwise be passed on to local ratepayers.”
Constellation did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
The reactors supply the PJM Interconnection, the grid operator serving 67 million people across 13 states and Washington, D.C., which has a shortfall of about 6.8 gigawatts in new power supply as data centers add to demand, Utility Dive reported.
The upgrades, known as uprates, swap in new equipment such as turbines and steam generators so existing reactors produce more power without building a new plant, according to the companies.
The upgrades will be made at the Braidwood, Byron, LaSalle and Quad Cities plants in Illinois, the Limerick plant in Pennsylvania and the Salem plant in New Jersey, which Constellation partly owns, a Constellation spokesman told Nuclear News.
About $2 billion of the investment is expected to go to the four Illinois plants and create about 4,200 construction jobs in the state, Republican Illinois state Sen. Sue Rezin said in a statement.
“This is a major investment in Illinois’ energy future and a recognition of the tremendous value of our nuclear fleet,” said Rezin, who helped lead efforts to end the state’s decades-old moratorium on new nuclear construction.