Amazon Partners to Build Advanced Nuclear Reactor Facility in Washington State to Power AI and Cloud Services
- MM24 News Desk
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Amazon is partnering with Energy Northwest and X-energy to build the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility featuring up to 12 small modular reactors (SMRs) near Richland, Washington, generating 960 MW of carbon-free energy to power AI and cloud computing operations.
Amazon is taking its sustainability commitments nuclear – literally. The tech giant announced plans for an advanced nuclear energy facility in Washington state that represents one of the first small modular reactor (SMR) projects in the United States, marking a significant bet on next-generation atomic energy to power the massive computational demands of AI and cloud services.
The Cascade Advanced Energy Facility, or Cascade, will be built near Richland, Washington, adjacent to Energy Northwest's existing Columbia Generating Station. Washington state utility Energy Northwest and SMR developer X-energy plan to construct up to 12 SMRs using X-energy's advanced nuclear reactor design, with construction expected to start by the end of this decade and operations targeted for the 2030s, according to Amazon's announcement.
"This project isn't just about new technology; it's about creating a reliable source of carbon-free energy that will support our growing digital world," said Kara Hurst, Amazon's chief sustainability officer. "I'm excited about the potential of SMRs and the positive impact they will have on both the environment and local communities."
The announcement follows Amazon's initial investments in several nuclear energy projects and technologies last October, marking what the company describes as a new chapter in powering operations with carbon-free energy. The move reflects broader tech industry recognition that renewable energy alone cannot meet the enormous and growing power demands of AI data centers and cloud computing infrastructure.
SMRs represent next-generation nuclear reactors that are smaller than traditional reactors and designed with features enabling simpler design, faster deployment, and lower construction costs. The modular nature proves crucial to the Cascade facility's design.
The facility will feature three 320-megawatt (MW) sections combining to create the full 960 MW plant occupying just a few city blocks. This contrasts sharply with traditional nuclear power facilities, where a single gigawatt plant can consume more than a square mile of land, stated Amazon.
Through its Climate Pledge Fund, Amazon made a capital investment in X-energy, a leading developer of next-generation nuclear reactors and fuel. Their advanced reactor design, the Xe-100, will be used in Amazon's partnership with Energy Northwest to develop four SMRs in the first phase of Cascade, with an initial capacity of 320 MW and the option to expand to 12 units with capacity reaching 960 MW.
"One year ago, we set out with Amazon to reimagine the way in which we advance new energy projects in the United States, and how we power technologies like AI that are driving our economy forward," said J. Clay Sell, chief executive officer of X-energy. "Over the past year, the support of Amazon has enabled us to accelerate progress on our technology, grow our team with world-class talent and expertise, and position the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility at the forefront of energy innovation."
This project forms part of Amazon's investment in X-energy to help bring more than 5 gigawatts (GW) of new nuclear energy to the U.S. grid by 2039 – enough carbon-free energy to power 3.8 million U.S. homes. Amazon and X-energy also recently signed an agreement with South Korea's Doosan Enerbility and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. to accelerate SMR deployment in the United States.
The workforce development component proves equally ambitious. Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Washington, secured funding from the Department of Energy to launch the Energy Learning Center, which includes a sophisticated education simulator replicating X-energy's Xe-100 control room.
Think of it as a flight simulator, but for nuclear facilities. This classroom, housed in space donated by Washington State University Tri-Cities, will give students hands-on experience with technology powering X-energy's reactors. The simulator is expected to be operational in late 2025, creating educational pathways for local students to enter high-paying jobs in the growing advanced nuclear energy sector.
"Investing in advanced training simulators prepares future operators and builds the foundation for a clean energy workforce that will power our region for decades to come," said Bob Schuetz, chief executive officer of Energy Northwest. "This interactive experience helps demystify nuclear energy and goes beyond the textbook, showing students that a viable, meaningful career in clean energy is within reach—and that they can be part of something transformative."
The economic impact extends beyond educational opportunities. The Cascade Advanced Energy Facility is expected to create over 1,000 jobs during construction and more than 100 permanent jobs in nuclear operations, engineering, and other specialized fields.
Amazon's nuclear bet reflects broader industry trends. Major tech companies increasingly recognize that intermittent renewable energy sources like wind and solar cannot reliably power data centers requiring 24/7 uptime. AI model training and inference workloads demand enormous computational resources, translating to massive electricity consumption.
Nuclear power offers scalable, reliable, carbon-free energy with a proven track record spanning decades. Unlike renewables dependent on weather conditions, nuclear plants generate consistent baseload power regardless of time or season. For companies like Amazon committed to sustainability goals while dramatically expanding AI and cloud services, advanced nuclear represents a pragmatic solution.
Whether SMRs can deliver on promises of simpler design, faster deployment, and lower costs compared to traditional nuclear plants remains to be proven at commercial scale. The Cascade facility will serve as a critical test case for next-generation nuclear technology in the United States.
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