Why it matters
The strategic read
Combines a hyperscale AI campus, federal industrial land and a fully paired power buildout in one package. Brookfield will develop and operate the campus while NextEra builds and owns up to 2 GW of gas generation and 2.6 GW of battery storage, creating a large test of the power-first model for AI infrastructure without shifting project costs to existing utility customers.
Source-supported terms
What was disclosed
- 01
DOE selected Brookfield to lease land and develop and operate the AI/HPC data-center campus at the former Paducah enrichment site.
- 02
DOE selected NextEra Energy to build and own the dedicated energy infrastructure.
- 03
The project represents more than $100B of privately funded investment.
- 04
The campus is designed for up to 1.8 GW of utility capacity and more than 1.2 GW of compute capacity.
- 05
NextEra plans up to 2 GW of new grid-connected natural-gas generation and up to 2.6 GW of battery energy storage.
- 06
Big Rivers will provide wholesale service, Jackson Purchase will provide retail service and Paducah Power System will serve as a community partner.
- 07
DOE expects construction to be completed in 2031, while the coalition release describes full construction in 2032.
- 08
The project is subject to negotiation and execution of definitive documents, and the power-service agreement requires Kentucky Public Service Commission approval.
Disclosure boundary
What is known—and what is not
DOE and the project coalition announced the selections, investment scale, party roles, campus capacity and dedicated-power plan. The project remains subject to definitive documentation, and the power-service agreement requires Kentucky Public Service Commission approval. Public materials do not identify the AI tenant, lease economics, precise development draws, final gas and storage sites, fuel contracts, equipment suppliers, interconnection milestones, debt/equity mix, remedies or cancellation rights.