Big news for clean energy! Nucor, a major North American steel manufacturer, is teaming up with tech giants Google and Microsoft to shake things up in the electricity world. They’re joining forces to develop innovative business models and combine their demand for advanced clean electricity technologies, and yes, that includes advanced nuclear!

Their goal? To speed up the development of those first-of-a-kind and early commercial projects that are so crucial for a clean energy future. Think advanced nuclear, next-gen geothermal, clean hydrogen, long-duration energy storage – the whole shebang.

They’re kicking things off by issuing a Request for Information in several US regions, looking for promising projects that need buyers for their power (that’s what “offtake” means). They’re inviting everyone to the party – technology providers, developers, investors, utilities, you name it.

These three companies are piloting a project delivery framework that focuses on three key things to help these early-stage projects get off the ground: First, they’ll be signing offtake agreements for technologies that are still a bit pricey because they’re new. Second, they’ll be making sure policymakers and other stakeholders hear a clear customer voice about what needs to change in the long term to improve the clean energy landscape. And third, they’ll be working with energy providers and utilities to develop new tariff structures that make sense for these emerging technologies. It’s all about creating a more supportive environment for clean energy innovation!