Amazon Web Services (AWS) will invest at least $20 billion to build two new AI-focused data center campuses in Pennsylvania, one of which will be located next to a major nuclear power plant. The project, confirmed by Reuters, marks one of the largest private-sector nuclear energy deals in U.S. history.
The expansion will unfold over the next decade and aims to deploy multiple high-performance data centers powered by carbon-free nuclear energy. The first site is planned for Salem Township, near the 2.5-gigawatt Susquehanna Steam Electric Station. The new campus will use infrastructure already designed for a 960-megawatt capacity.
AWS has partnered with Talen Energy, which operates the Susquehanna nuclear station in Luzerne County. Talen previously created Cumulus Data, a company developing a 475-megawatt data center campus next to the plant. That facility will now become a critical part of Amazon’s AI infrastructure.
The project is currently under review by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which has limited power usage to 300 megawatts over concerns about grid stability. Despite this, AWS is moving forward, betting on nuclear energy to offer the reliability of renewables without traditional grid constraints.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro hailed the project as a historic investment. “With Amazon’s commitment of at least $20 billion, we have secured the largest private-sector investment in the history of Pennsylvania,” he said. Construction is expected to create more than 1,250 union jobs.
Industry experts say the move could boost the role of nuclear energy in powering AI infrastructure. It also signals a shift in how big tech companies approach sustainability, aiming to position AI development within environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.
By tying AI growth to carbon-free energy, Amazon hopes to reshape the narrative around the energy demands of large-scale computing.
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