Amazon has released a series of renderings of its future Cascade Advanced Energy Center nuclear site, one year after announcing a strategic partnership with nuclear technology firm X-energy and electricity provider Energy Northwest. The project plans to install up to 12 small modular reactors (SMRs) near the Columbia Generating Station in the north-western United States.
The first block will include four SMRs for a combined output of 320 megawatts. Amazon stated that construction could begin by the end of the decade, with operations projected for the 2030s. Ultimately, the entire site could reach a total capacity of 960 MW across three blocks. The project is part of the company’s strategy to secure more than 5 GW of nuclear capacity in the United States by 2039.
Industrial partnerships and technological ambitions
Amazon and X-energy have also signed an agreement with South Korean groups Doosan Enerbility and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power to accelerate SMR deployment. The chosen model, the Xe-100, is a fourth-generation reactor designed to operate at high temperatures using tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel, known for its thermal resistance. Each unit produces 80 MW of electricity and can be assembled in a standardised 320 MW block.
The Xe-100 design is road-shippable and allows for faster construction timelines, meeting the energy demands of high-consumption data centres. This reactor type is also suitable for other industrial applications such as thermal processing and mining.
Deployment in the United States and local impact
The first industrial deployment site for the Xe-100 is under development at Dow Inc’s UCC Seadrift Operations site in Texas. It will be the first time a nuclear reactor is directly installed to power an industrial facility in the United States. In parallel, Amazon’s project in Washington state is expected to create at least 1,000 construction jobs and over 100 permanent roles once operational.
As part of the initiative, Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Washington, has received federal funding to open a training centre equipped with a simulator replicating the Xe-100 control room. The centre aims to train a qualified workforce to operate the site.
Governance structure and expansion options
The agreement signed between the partners gives Amazon the right to purchase electricity from the initial 320 MW block. Energy Northwest, as the local operator, retains the option to build up to eight additional modules. Power generated from these units could then be distributed between Amazon and local utilities.
