Google teams with Westinghouse on nuclear power plants for AI data centers

Westinghouse has partnered with Google AI Cloud to design a series of new nuclear reactors specifically engineered to power AI data centers and digital infrastructure. The collaboration leverages Westinghouse’s proprietary AI models—Hive and Bertha—to create “repeatable” nuclear plant designs that can be scaled efficiently across the United States, addressing the massive energy demands of modern neural networks while supporting climate goals.

What you should know: This partnership represents a strategic move to address the growing energy crisis facing AI infrastructure development.

• Westinghouse currently powers 56 reactors across the U.S., representing about 60% of the 94 operating reactors nationwide.
• The company’s technology already supports critical AI applications through its HiVE system, launched in September 2024.
• China is rapidly expanding nuclear capacity and could surpass both France and the U.S. as the top nuclear energy producer by 2030.

The technology behind it: Westinghouse is deploying two proprietary AI models to streamline nuclear plant development and operations.

• Hive: A nuclear-focused generative AI system that “provides end-to-end support across the entire reactor lifecycle—from design, licensing, and construction to operation and maintenance.”
• Bertha: A large language model “trained on over 75 years of company data, industrial practices, and domain expertise” that automates design calculations, licensing documentation, and fuel loading optimization.
• Both systems launched in September 2024 and are named after Bertha Lamme, the first woman to earn a mechanical engineering degree in the U.S.

Why this matters: Advanced nuclear technology offers a path to carbon-neutral energy that can meet AI’s exponential power demands.

• Modern safety improvements include nanotech temperature protection and advanced fuel designs that can “endure worst-case conditions longer thanks to materials that are more resistant to radiation, corrosion, and higher temperatures.”
• The Department of Energy notes these fuels “provide longer response times when something goes wrong—like a total loss of power, which is what led to fuel melting in three reactors at Fukushima in 2011.”
• Current plans call for “a few dozen more” nuclear plants beyond the nearly 100 already operating across America.

The competitive landscape: Westinghouse faces growing competition as nuclear energy becomes critical for tech infrastructure.

• Of the six modern AP1000 reactors currently in operation, two are in Georgia and four are in China.
• Companies like Constellation and TerraPower are also positioning themselves in the nuclear-for-tech space.
• Westinghouse was acquired by Brookfield and Cameco in 2023 but is not directly publicly traded.

The bigger picture: This partnership signals a broader industry recognition that AI’s energy demands require dedicated nuclear infrastructure rather than traditional grid solutions.