Brookfield and NextEra launch $100 billion AI and HPC hub on former Kentucky nuclear site

The U.S. Department of Energy announced a $100 billion private investment to convert the former Paducah uranium‑enrichment plant in western Kentucky into an artificial‑intelligence and high‑performance‑computing campus. Brookfield Asset Management will build a 1.8‑GW data‑center complex while NextEra Energy will provide 2 GW of natural‑gas generation and 2.6 GW of battery storage, with completion aimed for 2032. The project is expected to generate about 8,000 construction jobs and 600 permanent operations jobs and will use dedicated power and closed‑loop cooling to avoid raising local utility rates.

The development creates a large, long‑term demand for power and battery capacity, which could benefit energy‑generation and storage providers. Investors in Brookfield (BAM) and NextEra (NEE) may see exposure to a multi‑billion‑dollar infrastructure build‑out that is insulated from local rate‑increase concerns.

  • 1The Department of Energy announced a $100‑billion private investment for the Paducah American Energy Hub.
  • 2Brookfield Asset Management was selected to construct a 1.8‑GW AI and HPC data‑center campus.
  • 3NextEra Energy will develop 2 GW of natural‑gas generation and 2.6 GW of battery energy storage for the hub.
  • 4The phased build‑out is targeted for completion in 2032.
  • 5The project is projected to create roughly 8,000 construction jobs and 600 permanent operations jobs.
  • 6The hub will use dedicated power supplies and a closed‑loop cooling system to avoid increasing local utility bills.

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