Energy department selects Brookfield to develop Paducah AI data center
The Department of Energy has chosen Brookfield Asset Management to develop a $100 billion AI data center complex at the former Paducah gaseous diffusion plant, with NextEra Energy building and owning on-site power including 2 gigawatts of natural gas generation and 2.6 gigawatts of battery storage to support a 1.8-gigawatt data center. Construction is expected to finish in 2031 while cleanup of the contaminated 3,550-acre site is projected through 2065 at about $17 billion. The project links federal cleanup, private finance, and AI capacity to national security goals and raises environmental and regulatory concerns.
Paducah will host a $100 billion AI data center complex.
Context
The department has announced similar conversions at other Cold War sites. Paducah shut down in 2013 and needs long-term cleanup. Next steps include regulator review and construction toward 2031.
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