Brookfield与NextEra拟在肯塔基前核设施建设1000亿美元AI数据中心与能源园区

Brookfield and NextEra to build $100bn AI campus on ex-nuclear weapons site
Brookfield is teaming up with the US’s largest electric utility to build a massive data centre and energy complex on a former nuclear enrichment facility that played an important role in America’s nuclear weapons programme during the cold war.
The $100bn industrial transformation project spearheaded by the Canadian investments group and Florida-based NextEra Energy will involve the construction of 2 gigawatts of natural gas power plants and 2.6 gigawatts of battery storage capacity at the facility, which is situated in Paducah, western Kentucky. The electricity generated by the gas plants is enough capacity to power 1.5mn homes.
The US Department of Energy has agreed to provide leases over the more than 3,500-acre government-owned site, where nuclear enrichment activities ceased in 2013, according to a person familiar with the matter.
It is the latest in a swath of multibillion-dollar AI data centre mega-projects that have been announced in the US, as the Trump administration races to fulfil a key policy goal — winning the AI race against China.
The campus will be privately funded and the commercial partners have agreed to fulfil the terms of President Donald Trump’s ratepayer protection pledge — an initiative aimed to ensure technology companies fully fund the energy and infrastructure costs of data centre build-out rather than consumers.
It is understood Brookfield has already begun talks with hyperscalers to become an anchor for the campus, according to a person close to the project.
Bruce Flatt, chief executive of Brookfield, said the Paducah site would be the seed of the company’s plan to invest $100bn in AI infrastructure.
“By advancing this project in line with the White House Ratepayer Protection Pledge, we are ensuring innovation and affordability go hand in hand while creating high-quality jobs, attracting new investment and strengthening the local economy,” Flatt said, referring to a commitment by utility companies and data centre developers to cover the cost of power infrastructure needed for the facilities.
Some elements of the project are expected to become operational in 2028 and it is forecast to be completed by the start of 2032.
The mega-project’s use of federal lands comes as communities around the US protest over the construction of data centres. High-profile projects like Blackstone’s QTS recently withdrew from a 22mn square feet facility in Prince William County, Virginia, after a slew of lawsuits and opposition.
NextEra Energy recently initiated one of the largest mergers on record with Virginia utility Dominion, to build out its data centre footprint. The Florida developer and utility capitalised on the renewables build-out under President Joe Biden, but has since sought to diversify its business with natural gas and digital infrastructure.
“Thanks to President Trump, the US 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 secretary of energy Chris Wright.
Brookfield has placed itself at the forefront of the AI and energy boom in the US. In October it signed an $80bn deal with the US government which aims to build a fleet of nuclear reactors.
The Canadian investment group, which manages $1tn in overall assets, is one of the world’s largest property investors with a sprawling portfolio of office towers, data centres, apartments and logistics warehouses. It is also a large backer of renewable energy projects, managing more than $100bn in such assets.
In recent years, it has acquired large insurance companies in the US and Europe, helping it secure additional low-cost policyholder capital to make massive commitments to build data centres.
The Kentucky project will be connected to the main electricity grid, with Big Rivers Electric Power Corporation providing wholesale electric service.
NextEra chief executive John Ketchum said the project was “a proof point for how AI infrastructure should be built in America”, and that it would provide “new jobs, new energy resources, a more reliable grid and not a dollar of added cost on an existing customer’s electric bill”.