US Repurposes Kentucky Federal Land for $100 Billion AI Campus

The Trump administration is repurposing federal land to accelerate artificial intelligence development by hosting large-scale data centers and power plants. As part of this strategy, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the redevelopment of a retired Cold War-era uranium enrichment facility in Paducah, Kentucky, into a $100 billion AI data center campus.

NextEra Energy and Brookfield Corporation will lead the privately funded project. NextEra Energy will develop up to 2 gigawatts of natural gas-fired power and 2.6 gigawatts of battery storage, while Brookfield will own and operate the campus. The facility is designed to provide over 1.2 gigawatts of compute capacity and up to 1.8 gigawatts of electricity for the grid. The development is supported by a coalition including Big Rivers Electric Power Corporation, Jackson Purchase Energy Cooperative, and Paducah Power System.

Operations are scheduled to begin in 2028, with full development targeted for 2032. NextEra stated the project adheres to the administration's Ratepayer Protection Pledge to ensure data center energy costs do not impact residential customers. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated the government is leveraging federal assets to increase power generation, create jobs, and ensure the United States wins the AI race.