DOE Selected Brookfield, NextEra for $100 Billion AI Hub at Uranium Enrichment Site

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) selected Brookfield and NextEra Energy on July 29, 2026, for a Kentucky AI campus and dedicated power project estimated at $100 billion over its first 20 years.

Brookfield would develop and operate the campus near Paducah, while NextEra would build and own the power facilities. The proposal provides for up to 1.8 gigawatts of utility capacity and more than 1.2 gigawatts of computing capacity. Those figures describe different measures of the campus.

The energy plan includes up to 2 gigawatts of new natural gas generation and up to 2.6 gigawatts of battery storage. The gas generation would connect to the grid. The data center is planned to pay for its own power infrastructure.

The $100 billion figure is an estimate covering the project's first 20 years, not an amount already spent. The projected scale makes power supply a central part of the development rather than a separate facility to be added after the campus is built.

The project is expected to create about 8,000 construction jobs and 600 permanent operations jobs. Big Rivers Electric Corporation would provide wholesale electric service, and Jackson Purchase Energy Cooperative would provide retail service. Paducah Power System has a community support role.

The Paducah Site includes the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, which enriched uranium from 1952 until 2013. DOE continues deactivation and cleanup work there. The proposed data center and gas facility are expected to use less than 5 million gallons of water a day, compared with a design capacity of up to 30 million gallons a day for the former plant. Technical and environmental analyses of the new project are ongoing.

Brookfield has also outlined a global AI infrastructure program targeting up to $100 billion in assets across data centers, power and related infrastructure. The Paducah project's $100 billion estimate describes projected investment at this site over 20 years.

DOE selected the companies after seeking offers in November 2025. The development still requires final project agreements, and its power-service agreement needs approval from the Kentucky Public Service Commission.