Archive · 30 Jul 2026
US Plans $100B AI Data Center at Former Kentucky Plant
The U.S. government wants to turn an old nuclear plant in Kentucky into a huge computer center that will help the country stay ahead in artificial intelligence.
A big company called Brookfield will build the center, and a power company called NextEra will make a new gas power plant and batteries to run it.
The project will create thousands of jobs and bring a lot of money to the area.
While the new center is built, the old plant will keep being cleaned up to make it safe.
The whole plan is expected to finish by 2031, and the cleanup will keep going until 2065.
DOE selects Brookfield Asset Management to build a $100B AI data center at Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Kentucky.
Project includes 2 GW natural gas power plant, 2.6 GW battery storage, and 1.8 GW AI data center, expected to finish by 2031.
Development aims to create thousands of jobs, inject tens of billions of dollars, and supply surplus power to the regional grid.
Site cleanup will continue until 2065, costing about $17B, while the facility is repurposed for tech infrastructure.
Similar AI data center plans underway at Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Ohio and Savannah River Site in South Carolina.
- Who
- U.S. Department of Energy, Brookfield Asset Management, NextEra Energy, Energy Secretary Chris Wright
- What
- Construction of a $100 billion AI data center complex with power plant and battery storage
- When
- Construction to finish by 2031; cleanup until 2065
- Where
- Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Paducah, Kentucky
- Why
- Repurpose Cold War-era uranium enrichment sites, boost U.S. AI leadership, create jobs and economic growth
- Project cost
- $100 billion
- Location
- Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Paducah, Kentucky
- Developer
- Brookfield Asset Management
- Power plant capacity
- 2 GW natural gas
- Battery storage
- 2.6 GW
- AI data center capacity
- 1.8 GW
- Expected completion
- 2031
- Cleanup cost
- $17 billion
- Cleanup duration
- until 2065