- Brookfield and NextEra Energy plan a $100 billion AI campus at the DOE's former Paducah uranium enrichment site, targeting 1.8 GW of compute capacity by 2032 [1] - NextEra will build up to 2 GW of natural gas-fired generation and 2.6 GW of battery storage on-site, with excess power delivered to the regional grid [2] - Operations are expected to begin in 2028, with full buildout completed by 2032; the project requires Kentucky Public Service Commission approval [3] - The campus is projected to create approximately 8,000 construction jobs and 600 permanent positions [2] - DOE selected Brookfield following a November 2025 Request for Offers process for the site, which closed as a uranium enrichment facility in 2013
[1] Brookfield and NextEra Energy will develop a $100 billion AI data center campus at the U.S. Department of Energy's former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in western Kentucky, the DOE announced on July 29. The project targets more than 1.2 GW of initial AI computing capacity, scaling to 1.8 GW by 2032 [1] [2].
NextEra, the largest U.S. utility by market capitalization, will build up to 2 GW of dedicated natural gas-fired generation and 2.6 GW of battery energy storage capacity at the site, a "bring-your-own-power" model that keeps the campus largely independent of the regional grid. Excess generation will be delivered to local utilities [2].
The DOE selected Brookfield following a Request for Offers process launched in November 2025. The project remains subject to negotiation of definitive agreements and approval by the Kentucky Public Service Commission. Operations are expected to begin in 2028, with full buildout completed by 2032 [1] [3].
The Site #
The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant was constructed in the 1950s to produce enriched uranium and ceased enrichment operations in 2013. The 3,556-acre federal site in McCracken County, Kentucky, retains significant legacy infrastructure — including high-voltage transmission capacity, water access, fiber connectivity, and available land — that DOE officials say can accelerate development timelines [1] [2].
The campus is part of DOE's broader American Energy Hubs initiative, which seeks to repurpose underutilized federal sites for energy and compute infrastructure. A similar effort produced a nearly 10 GW data center announcement in Ohio earlier in 2026 [3].
Over 40,000 cylinders of depleted uranium hexafluoride remain on-site and will continue to be managed alongside the new development. DOE Assistant Secretary Tim Walsh said the project ensures "federal land will be put to productive use for Americans through affordable energy and AI innovation" [1].
Power & Storage Architecture #
The project's power stack is among the largest dedicated generation buildouts announced for a single data center campus in the U.S. NextEra will develop up to 2 GW of new natural gas-fired generation paired with up to 2.6 GW of battery energy storage, for a combined 4.6 GW of dedicated capacity [2] [4].
The generation and storage resources will exceed the campus's own demand. Surplus power will be delivered to the regional grid through local utility partners — Big Rivers Electric Power Corporation, Jackson Purchase Energy Cooperative, and Paducah Power System — a structure DOE says will lower electricity costs for surrounding ratepayers [1] [2].
The power service agreement requires approval from the Kentucky Public Service Commission, a process that will run in parallel with negotiations over definitive project agreements [1].
Partners and Roles #
Brookfield will own and operate the data center campus. The Canadian asset manager has been rapidly expanding its data center footprint globally, including through its Brookfield Infrastructure Partners vehicle and its 2024 acquisition of Data4 in Europe [3] [4].
NextEra Energy, which operates Florida Power & Light and is the world's largest generator of wind and solar energy, is providing the dedicated generation and storage infrastructure. The company has been increasingly positioning itself as a power supplier to hyperscale data center operators [4].
Local utility partners Big Rivers Electric Power Corporation and Jackson Purchase Energy Cooperative will handle wholesale and retail electric service, respectively, while Paducah Power System provides community-level coordination. The coalition is branded as the Paducah American Energy Hub [1] [2].
Economic Impact and Timeline #
The project is expected to generate approximately 8,000 construction jobs during the buildout phase and roughly 600 permanent positions once operational, according to the DOE announcement. At $100 billion, it would represent one of the largest single private investments in Kentucky's history [1] [2].
Construction completion is targeted for 2031, with the full 1.8 GW campus operational by 2032. Initial operations are expected to begin in 2028, though the project's status remains conditional on finalizing definitive agreements and securing regulatory approvals [1] [3].
The announcement adds to a growing pipeline of mega-scale AI infrastructure projects on federal land. The Paducah campus's co-located generation model — where power plants are built specifically for the data center and sited on the same property — represents a departure from the grid-connected approach used at most existing hyperscale campuses [2] [4].
Companies mentioned #
Further sources #
[1] U.S. Department of Energy press release: Energy Department Announces Partnershi… ↗
[2] Data Center Knowledge: Brookfield, NextEra Launch $100B AI Campus at DOE's Padu… ↗
[3] Bloomberg/BNN: NextEra, Brookfield Plan US$100 Billion Data Centre at U.S. Uran… ↗
[4] Power Magazine: Brookfield, NextEra to Develop $100B Data Center Campus at DOE'… ↗
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