Amazon has partnered with X-energy and American Electric Power to develop a nuclear power facility in Sullivan County, Indiana, using small modular reactor technology.
Key facts
- •The Indiana facility is planned to house 12 Xe-100 small modular reactors.
- •The project is expected to create 1,000 construction jobs and 100 permanent roles.
- •Amazon and X-energy aim to develop 5 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2039.
- •The plant will be operated by utility company American Electric Power.
- •The site is located in Fairbanks, Sullivan County, at a former coal power plant.
Amazon announced on Monday that it is funding the development of a new nuclear power plant in Sullivan County, Indiana, to support its data centers and the regional power grid. The project, which involves utility operator American Electric Power and reactor designer X-energy, aims to generate 960 megawatts of electricity using 12 small modular reactors (SMRs).
By the numbers
Project Scope and Technology
The proposed facility will be constructed at the site of the former Breed Generating Station, a defunct coal power plant. The project will utilize X-energy’s Xe-100 SMR model, which uses TRISO fuel pellets and is cooled by helium gas. Amazon will serve as the first power purchaser for the plant, which is intended to provide carbon-free energy to the public grid as well as Amazon's data centers.
Broader Nuclear Strategy
This agreement marks the second collaboration between Amazon and X-energy, following a previous project announced in Washington. The companies have stated a collective goal to deploy more than 5 gigawatts of new nuclear generating capacity in the United States by 2039. Amazon previously led a $700 million Series C-1 funding round for X-energy in October 2024.
Timeline and Regulatory Challenges
While Amazon has not provided a specific construction or operational timeline, reports suggest the facility could be completed as early as the mid-2030s, though this remains subject to change. The project faces significant development hurdles, as X-energy has yet to build a functional, power-producing reactor. The company is currently awaiting final construction permit reviews from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a separate project in Texas.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by The Register, TechCrunch, The Verge.
