Google’s Bet on TAE’s Nuclear Fusion for Sustainable Power

Harnessing nuclear fusion sounds like the stuff of fiction, and for a long time it has been.

This process, combining light atomic nuclei to form a heavier nucleus, releases vast amounts of energy, powering the sun and all other stars.

TAE Technologies, with the help of Google, is striving to deliver the world’s first commercial fusion power.

Since its inception, TAE has raised nearly US$1.3bn in equity capital, and has been receiving support from Google for more than a decade.

Ross Koningstein, Engineering Director Emeritus at Google Research, said: “We’ve been an investor in TAE since 2015, and recently participated in TAE’s latest funding round, positioning them as a leading contender in the race to achieve fusion.

“We look forward to TAE’s continued progress with their distinctive pathway to fusion – one of our bets for a cleaner energy future.”

Michl Binderbauer, CEO of TAE Technologies, said: “We’re delighted to continue our relationship with Google, who have not only provided funding to TAE but collaborated closely in research and development over many years. 

“With this latest fundraise, we look forward to accelerating our efforts to deliver commercial fusion power.”

About nuclear fusion

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), fusion has the potential to generate nearly four times more energy per kilogram of fuel than fission, the process currently used in nuclear power plants.

This represents nearly four million times more energy than burning oil or coal.

Fusion occurs when nuclei overcome their mutual electrostatic repulsion through high pressures or temperatures, creating a heavier nucleus.

The resulting nucleus has slightly less mass than the originals, and this lost mass is converted to energy.

Fusion requires matter to be in a plasma state where electrons are stripped from nuclei.

Scientists are exploring various ways to replicate conditions for fusion on Earth, including magnetic and inertial confinement.

However, sustaining plasma stability and managing extreme heat remain significant challenges to achieving net energy gain from the reaction.

Fusion offers abundant fuel and primarily produces helium as waste, providing a cleaner alternative to fission reactions.

The theory of fusion was first understood in the 1930s and scientists and engineers have been working to harness it ever since. 

If fusion is achieved with a net energy gain, it could completely change global energy systems as they are currently known. 

Meet TAE Technologies

Formerly Tri Alpha Energy, TAR Technologies is based in California, US and is developing aneutronic fusion power. 

Aneutronic fusion reactions minimise neutron radiation and reduce shielding requirements, with most energy carried by charged particles.

TAE has raised nearly US$1.3bn in equity capital and achieved significant milestones.

In April 2025, it announced its “Norm” breakthrough where it achieved stable plasma at more than 70 million °C in a simplified fusion device. 

Its technology is based on the Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC), a magnetic confinement technique that can reduce the amount of magnets needed to confine plasma and make the device more power efficient to operate. 

The “Norm” breakthrough saw the company use only neural beam injection to produce a hot, stable FRC plasma, significantly reducing the size, complexity and cost of the machine.  

Michl says: “Fusion has the potential to transform the energy landscape, providing near-limitless clean power at a time when the world’s energy needs are growing exponentially due to the growth of AI and data centres. 

“TAE’s technology uses the soundest physics to deliver superior performance in a compact machine, with attractive economics and best-in-class maintainability. 

“We are leading the charge to develop revolutionary fusion technology for full-scale commercial deployment.”

Why is Google interested in nuclear fusion?

Google, like many tech companies, faces substantial energy and sustainability challenges.

In 2023, Google's greenhouse gas emissions were 48% higher than in 2019, largely due to increased data centre energy consumption and supply chain emissions.

”In spite of the progress we are making, we face significant challenges that we’re actively working through,” Google Chief Sustainability Officer Kate Brandt and Benedict Gomes, SVP, Learning & Sustainability wrote in the introduction to its 2024 Sustainability Report.

“In 2023, our total GHG emissions increased 13% year-over-year, primarily driven by increased data centre energy consumption and supply chain emissions.”

It is yet to be seen if Google’s emissions rose again in 2024, but with the significant continued expansion of AI and demand on its data centres it would not be a shock. 

Google is targeting net zero emissions across all of its operations and value chain by 2030 which is supported by a goal to use 24/7 carbon-free energy. 

Many big technology companies are looking at small modular reactors (SMRs), a smaller type of nuclear fission reactor, to power their data centres. 

This technology, however, can produce long-lived and highly radioactive waste and requires nuclear fuel to be mined. 

If fusion energy takes off, it could be a substantial part of the solution to some of these problems. 

Michael Terrell, Head of Advanced Energy at Google, said on LinkedIn: “We’ll need to take many shots on goal in this next frontier of energy innovation: that means accelerating advanced energy solutions to unlock new clean firm capacity within the next decade, as well as longer-term bets like nuclear fusion.”

Google's work with TAE Technologies

Google Research began collaborating with TAE in 2015, applying AI to enhance plasma temperature and lifetime and improve understanding of its behaviour.

Google engineers have worked onsite at TAE facilities, co-developing plasma reconstruction algorithms and optimisation tools.

These include the "Optometrist Algorithm," which accelerated TAE’s scientific progress and improved reactor performance.

Google has been a significant investor in TAE, supporting multiple funding rounds, including the latest in 2025.

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