US announces $100 billion AI energy hub in Kentucky — OilPrice

The US Department of Energy has announced $100 billion in private investment to create the Paducah American Energy Hub at the site of a former uranium enrichment facility in western Kentucky. The project предусматривает the construction of a campus for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing, OilPrice reports.

Data center and new energy capacity

Brookfield Asset Management is to build a 1.8 GW data center for AI and high-performance computing. NextEra Energy will be responsible for creating 2 GW of gas generation and 2.6 GW of energy storage systems.

The phased deployment of the hub is planned through 2032. Construction is expected to provide approximately 8,000 jobs, while about 600 permanent jobs will be created to operate the complex after it is launched.

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Water and electricity supply

According to the publication, the complex will operate on dedicated power sources. Surplus electricity is planned to be supplied to the regional grid to avoid an increase in utility bills for local households and businesses.

The data center will also feature a closed-loop cooling system that will continuously circulate water and is intended to reduce its external consumption. The previous facility at the site — the Cold War-era Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant — was designed with the capacity to withdraw up to 30 million gallons of water per day from the Ohio River.