Wednesday, 29 July 2026

The U.S. Department of Energy has selected Brookfield and NextEra Energy to build a data center campus with dedicated generation and storage on part of its Paducah Site in Kentucky, in a privately funded project the department values at more than USD 100 billion.

DOE said the partnership also includes Big Rivers Electric Power Corporation, Jackson Purchase Energy Cooperative and Paducah Power System, and covers the redevelopment of portions of the site into a data center campus paired with new energy infrastructure.

Under the split of roles described by DOE, Brookfield will develop and operate the campus itself, while NextEra Energy will build and own the energy infrastructure serving the site. Both selections followed a Request for Offers that DOE issued in November 2025.

The generation package is gas-heavy with a large storage layer attached. NextEra Energy plans 2 GW of new grid-connected natural gas-fired generation and up to 2.6 GW of battery energy storage, sized to serve a 1.8 GW artificial intelligence and high-performance computing campus at or near the Paducah site, according to DOE. The plan also covers upgrades to existing transmission infrastructure.

DOE put the employment effect at roughly 8,000 construction jobs and 600 permanent jobs, and described the investment as one of the largest in Kentucky's history.

One regulatory step is still outstanding. The power service agreement requires approval from the Kentucky Public Service Commission, DOE said.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2031.

The capacity ratio is the detail worth holding onto: the 2 GW of firm gas plus up to 2.6 GW of batteries exceeds the 1.8 GW load the campus is designed to draw. The storage figure is a ceiling rather than a commitment, phrased by DOE as up to 2.6 GW.

A coalition led by Brookfield and NextEra Energy has unveiled plans for a privately funded artificial intelligence (AI) data center campus at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Paducah Site in Western Kentucky, carrying a price tag of USD 100 billion, according to Power Magazine.

The campus is to be paired with up to 4.6 GW of dedicated new power generation, Power Magazine reported. That capacity will be built and paid for solely to serve the site, according to the same report.

The USD 100 billion figure covers the data center campus itself and is described as privately funded. The federal land involved is the DOE's Paducah Site.

Power Magazine identified Brookfield and NextEra Energy as the leaders of the coalition behind the proposal.