Energy Department Announces Partnership to Expand Reliable, Affordable Energy Access and Power America’s AI Future in Western Kentucky | Department of Energy
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July 29, 2026
Energy Department Announces Partnership to Expand Reliable, Affordable Energy Access and Power America’s AI Future in Western Kentucky<br>The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced a landmark partnership expected… Read more
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Energy Department Announces Partnership to Expand Reliable, Affordable Energy Access and Power America’s AI Future in Western Kentucky
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced a landmark partnership expected to create approximately 8,000 construction jobs and 600 permanent jobs.
Energy.gov
July 29, 2026
Estimated Read Time min
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced a landmark partnership with Brookfield, NextEra Energy, Big Rivers Electric Power Corporation, Jackson Purchase Energy Cooperative, and Paducah Power System to redevelop portions of DOE’s Paducah Site into a data center campus accompanied by new affordable energy infrastructure. The more than $100 billion privately funded investment, one of the largest in Kentucky’s history, is expected to create approximately 8,000 construction jobs and 600 permanent jobs.<br>Consistent with President Trump’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge , the project’s generation and storage capacity would exceed the campus’s energy needs, allowing excess electricity to be delivered to the regional grid, helping reduce energy costs for American families and businesses. At or near the Paducah campus, NextEra Energy plans to develop 2 gigawatts (GW) of new grid-connected natural gas-fired generation, upgrade existing transmission infrastructure, and deploy up to 2.6 GW of battery energy storage to support a new 1.8 GW artificial intelligence and high-performance computing (HPC) innovation campus.<br>“Thanks to President Trump, the U.S. government is leveraging its assets—like our federal lands—to add power generation, create jobs, and ensure the United States wins the AI race,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright . “The President’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge ensures America can build the energy infrastructure needed to power the AI revolution while lowering electricity costs for American families and businesses. By transforming former DOE sites into engines of innovation and economic growth, we can revitalize communities with increased tax revenue and thousands of jobs, while also strengthening America’s energy security.”<br>“The $100 billion private sector investment in Paducah is historic,” said U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY) . “I’m grateful to Secretary Wright for his leadership and partnership in securing a long-term commitment from the federal government to back this project. After speaking with local and state officials who were strongly...