🚀Google Invests in 3 Nuclear Power Plants

Google just signed a deal with nuclear startup Elementl Power to fund the early-stage development of three advanced reactor projects, each expected to generate at least 600 MW. That’s 1.8 GW of clean, 24/7 baseload—enough to power the ever-expanding AI infrastructure Google’s building.

The exact reactor tech hasn’t been chosen yet (Elementl is “technology agnostic”), but Google’s money will go toward the tough early work: site permitting, interconnection rights, contracts, etc. And once the projects are ready to build, Elementl plans to raise infrastructure capital to get them over the line.

Google’s no stranger to nuclear—they teamed up with Kairos Power last year to build 500MW of Kairos Small Modular Reactor KP-FHR (Kairos Power Fluoride Salt-Cooled High Temperature Reactor). But this new deal is bigger, bolder, and speaks to a broader trend: tech giants realizing that you can’t run ChatGPT on vibes and sunshine alone.

Elementl wants to bring 10 GW of nuclear online by 2035. Lofty? Sure. But with AI workloads projected to require the equivalent of 50 new nuclear plants by 2027, this is the kind of ambition we need.

“Google is committed to catalyzing projects that strengthen the power grids where we operate, and advanced nuclear technology provides reliable, baseload, 24/7 energy” said Amanda Peterson Corio, Google’s head of data center energy.

Translation: we need serious power, and solar panels on the roof ain’t cutting it.

⚛️For the Nu-clearly Curious

🏆CANDU reactor sets operating records
Unit 1 of the Qinshan Power Plant near Shanghai was taken offline after 738 days of continuous operation. It has set a new record for the longest uninterrupted operation of a power reactor in China as well as a world record for an operating run for a CANDU-6 reactor (Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor). CANDUs are designed to be refueled without being shut down.

🧠Argentina hopes to attract Big Tech with nuclear-powered AI data centers
Argentine President Javier Milei has an ambitious plan to transform Argentina into a global hub for nuclear energy. Nuclear energy, in turn, is the key to his goal of making the country a center for artificial intelligence, powered by investments that he hopes to draw from big tech firms.

🌎The EU has directed its supply agency to look elsewhere for its uranium, other than Russia
The European Commission has published a roadmap for the European Union to end its dependency on Russian energy by stopping the import of Russian gas and oil and phasing out Russian nuclear energy. Specifically: restrict new supply contracts co-signed by the Euratom Supply Agency for uranium, enriched uranium and other nuclear materials deriving from Russia.

🔬Laser uranium enrichment is one step closer to reality
A company called Global Laser Enrichment just started testing a new laser-based method to enrich uranium at a facility in North Carolina. If it works, it could lead to a new U.S. supply of nuclear fuel—made locally and without relying on countries like Russia.

🔥Draft Executive Order: Quadruple U.S. Nuclear by 2050

Several sources are reporting the Trump administration is drafting a series of executive orders to kickstart a massive U.S. nuclear expansion, including a goal to quadruple nuclear capacity to 400 GW by 2050. That’s a fourfold jump from today’s levels.

Some of the proposals on the table include:

• A full overhaul of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to speed up approvals

• 18-month deadlines for new reactor licensing

• Redefining radiation safety standards

• Military-funded reactors and possibly powering AI data centers as "defense critical infrastructure"

The drafts cite China and Russia's dominance in global reactor builds and warning that the U.S. has fallen dangerously behind.

One draft order reportedly states: “Swift and decisive action is required to jump-start America’s nuclear renaissance.”

Whether these orders get signed—or survive court challenges—is still up in the air. But the tone is clear: the next phase of America’s nuclear era might be less bureaucratic… and more bulldozer.

And if you’re betting on uranium, here’s an alternative headline for you: “U.S. to quadruple annual uranium demand—from 50 million lbs to 200 million lbs per year.”

🎥Watch this 30 second clip of CNBC discussing the draft order here:

🥇Western World’s First SMR Breaks Ground in Canada

The first grid-scale Small Modular Reactor in the Western world is officially under construction in Ontario, Canada, at a familiar site: the existing Darlington Nuclear Station.

Last week, the province gave final approval to GE Hitachi’s BWRX-300, a next-gen 300 MW reactor that will generate enough 24/7 carbon-free power to serve ~300,000 homes.

Once online in 2030, it’s expected to be the first operational SMR in a G7 country, and the world’s first commercially available SMR.

The BWRX-300 is a Boiling Water Reactor—a modernized, downsized version of GE’s legacy BWR designs, built for simplicity, modularity, and passive safety.

The long game is even bigger: four SMRs are planned for the site by 2035, with a total price tag of ~$15 billion USD and an estimated 18,000 jobs tied to the full buildout.

Ontario’s Energy Minister called the project critical to “economic sovereignty.” GEH called it a “milestone.”

And for the broader SMR industry, it’s a badly needed proof-of-concept as countries like the U.S. struggle to get their own first-of-a-kind projects off the ground.

Now we watch to see if Ontario’s success becomes the playbook for the rest of the Western world.

😎Want to actually see radiation in action?

You’ve got to see this: uranium ore inside a cloud chamber.

You can literally watch radiation in action—particles streaking through the air as they ionize vapor trails.

Seriously cool stuff:

💍Nuclear-Powered Bling

Welcome back to Atomic Alternatives—where we uncover the surprising ways nuclear tech is quietly making the world cooler, cleaner, and in this case... shinier.

This week’s glittering gem? ✨ Nuclear-irradiated gemstones.

Yep—some of that jaw-dropping sparkle you see in topaz and diamonds isn’t just nature’s work—it’s science. Here’s how it goes down:

🌀 The Process

The gemstones are placed in particle accelerators or exposed to neutron or gamma radiation (usually from a nuclear reactor or cobalt-60 source). This bombardment alters the crystal structure or excites electrons—changing how light interacts with the stone.

💥 The Result

Deeper colors, more saturation, and in some cases—entirely new hues.

Dull topaz → Radiant electric blue
Off-color diamonds → Black, green, or intense yellow
Beryl, quartz, zircon → Enhanced vibrancy

After irradiation, the stones are stored until any induced radioactivity decays to safe levels. Their initial distribution is regulated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to make sure they’re safe before they hit the jewelry counter.

By the time you see them, they’re as harmless as they are dazzling.

So yes—nuclear tech is literally making people shine.

😂Meme of The Week

Stay charged, stay critical (like a reactor), and keep glowing.😎

– Fredrik
📬[email protected]
🔗 nuclearupdate.com