Google and Constellation Energy announced a long-term strategic clean energy collaboration to bring 890 megawatts of new, reliable nuclear capacity onto the PJM Interconnection grid, in an effort unveiled Oct. 6, 2026, from Baltimore and Mountain View, Calif.

Major Investment in Nuclear Energy Expansion

The centerpiece of the deal is a 20-year power purchase agreement that will enable investments in new equipment and technology at 11 Constellation-owned nuclear units in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, increasing thermal and electrical efficiency to unlock additional reliable, firm power for the grid. The company says the capacity is entirely new, expanding total electricity generation available across the PJM footprint.

The agreement sustains roughly 4,400 existing jobs and creates approximately 7,200 new construction jobs during the building period, and represents more than USD 4.3 billion of new investment by Constellation. The capacity covered spans six nuclear sites across Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Uprates instead of new construction

The 890 MW of incremental capacity will come from nuclear uprates, modernizing and upgrading turbines, steam generators, and digital control systems at operating plants.

According to the companies, uprates deliver substantial capacity gains without the multi-year timelines or interconnection bottlenecks associated with greenfield construction. The 890 MW equals the output of several Small Modular Reactors or a large new conventional reactor.

The initiative, the companies said, directly advances the goals of the federal government's UPRISE program, which encourages public-private collaboration to maximize clean electricity output from existing American nuclear infrastructure. The first uprate is expected to be delivered by 2028.

"We're committed to meeting our growth responsibly by actively investing in clean, reliable power that brings new capacity to our nation's grids," said Amanda Peterson Corio, global head of energy and power at Google.

"Our agreement with Constellation to fund nuclear reactor uprates will strengthen the PJM grid, which serves 67 million people, all while protecting energy affordability and supporting local union jobs."

Joe Dominguez, chairman, president, and CEO of Constellation, said preserving and expanding the output of the existing nuclear fleet and developing new clean generation is critical to meeting the nation's growing energy needs while keeping costs affordable for homes and businesses.

He described the collaboration as a model for how technology companies and the energy industry can work together to responsibly develop the digital economy and invest in energy infrastructure in a way that delivers grid-wide benefits funded by private entities.

A second agreement for 2,700 MW

In addition to expanding nuclear generation, the companies entered into a 15-year energy supply agreement for an additional 2,700 MW in PJM's fleet.

The financial structure is designed to ensure that Constellation's operating generation assets continue to deliver energy and capacity to the PJM market, keeping existing assets economically viable without taking resources off the grid.

The companies framed this as providing revenue certainty that supports continued operations.

AI for energy

Constellation also selected Google Cloud and Gemini Enterprise under an expanded five-year technology alliance to establish an "AI for energy" blueprint. The initiative is intended to accelerate capacity delivery, optimize asset dispatch, and protect critical infrastructure.

For communities served by Constellation Energy, the stated aim is to use AI to reduce the costs of new infrastructure, improve performance, ensure enough power is generated to meet rising demand, and safeguard the energy grid.

Responding to PJM's load growth challenge

The agreement was described as a direct response to PJM's "Bring Your Own Power" proposal, offering a practical model for how major power consumers can expand new supply alongside growing operational requirements without state or federal mandates.

The companies said the approach aligns with the White House Ratepayer Protection Pledge and represents Google's commitment to bring new capacity to the PJM system to support its growth without passing on costs to residential customers.

Beyond the uprates themselves, the agreement incorporates operational load-shaping and demand-response capabilities to curtail non-critical power consumption during high-stress grid events.

The deal also sustains high-skilled union maintenance, engineering, and operations employment across host communities in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest.

A framework for future development

Google and Constellation have also agreed upon a strategic framework to evaluate opportunities to develop new clean generation, storage, and demand response across the PJM footprint, extending the collaboration beyond the immediate uprate investments.

The announcements come as national electricity demand accelerates from manufacturing, industrial electrification, and digital infrastructure.

The companies positioned nuclear uprates as a practical, near-term mechanism to deploy firm, clean megawatts, arguing the collaboration shows how large electricity consumers can fund new grid supply privately while supporting affordability, reliability, and union employment in the communities hosting the affected plants.

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