A Kentucky city is getting $100B data center. The governor says he wasn’t briefed
A $100 billion data center and energy campus, dubbed the Paducah American Energy Hub, was announced for McCracken County, Kentucky, at a former uranium enrichment site. Governor Andy Beshear expressed concerns about the project's power, environmental impact, jobs, and tax contributions, stating he was not briefed despite the U.S. Department of Energy's announcement. Brookfield Asset Management will build and operate the data center, with NextEra Energy Resources supplying the necessary power.
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced a massive $100 billion private investment to transform a former uranium enrichment site in McCracken County, Kentucky, into the Paducah American Energy Hub. This ambitious project includes one of the nation’s largest artificial intelligence data center campuses, a 1.8-gigawatt hyperscale facility, and a new 2-gigawatt energy campus to power it, featuring natural gas-fired plants and battery storage. Brookfield Asset Management is slated to build and operate the data center, while NextEra Energy Resources will develop and supply the necessary power. The project is expected to create 8,000 temporary construction jobs and 600 permanent operational positions.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear's office, however, stated that the governor was not briefed by any of the involved companies or agencies prior to the public announcement. A spokesperson for Gov. Beshear indicated he has questions regarding the project's power consumption, environmental impact, job figures, and local tax contributions. Notably, Governor Beshear, a Democrat, was absent from the July 29 celebration event at the site, which was attended by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, and Republican state lawmakers.
Organizers confirmed that the governor was invited to the event, and an energy department spokesperson stated that notifications were provided to his office. The governor's office did not respond to inquiries about the invitation. The absence of a press release from the governor's office or his economic development cabinet regarding the investment, typically issued for such job announcements, further highlighted the disconnect. The project also involves utility providers Big Rivers Electric Corp. for wholesale service, Jackson Purchase Energy Cooperative for retail service, and Paducah Power System for additional support.
This development positions Western Kentucky as a key player in building AI computing infrastructure, leveraging former industrial sites to meet the soaring demand for data centers. The Paducah American Energy Hub is part of a broader trend at the former uranium enrichment plant, sparked by initiatives to boost data centers and nuclear energy in the U.S. and follows other major investments at the site.