Is the race to build data centers a part of this energy plan
Yes, the race to build data centers is a primary catalyst and central pillar of the administration's nuclear and broader energy dominance plan. [1] Instead of treating the massive power demands of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data centers as a strain on the electric grid, the administration has explicitly tethered AI infrastructure to its energy strategy. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that the federal government is actively leveraging its assets to add power generation and ensure the U.S. wins the AI race. [1, 2] The administration is integrating data centers directly into its energy blueprint through several key strategies: [3]
1. Repurposing Federal Nuclear & Defense Lands To bypass local regulatory opposition and speed up construction, the Department of Energy (DOE) is converting Cold War-era federal sites into massive, combined power-and-data-center hubs: [4, 5]
* The Paducah Project (Kentucky): On July 29, 2026, the DOE announced a $100 billion project at a retired uranium enrichment facility. Partnering with [Brookfield Asset Management](https://abcnews.com/Technology/wireStory/federal-government-turn-kentucky-uranium-plant-ai-data-135231371) and utilities, the site will host a hyperscale AI data center campus, supported initially by 2 GW of natural gas power and 2.6 GW of battery storage. [1, 4, 5, 6] * [The Portsmouth Complex](https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/g/1hcb1d7gp) (Ohio): In March 2026, the DOE partnered with SoftBank and AEP Ohio to launch a 10 GW data center and power complex, set to become the largest in the world. [7] * Savannah River Site (South Carolina): The National Nuclear Security Administration teamed up with Amentum to explore a 1 GW data center powered by a mix of gas and nuclear energy at this former nuclear weapons material complex. [8, 9]
2. Integration into "Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses" The recently announced Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses are designed as co-located ecosystems. Draft policy documents outline that these state-level campuses will integrate advanced reactors and nuclear fuel recycling directly alongside hyperscale data centers and high-tech manufacturing facilities. This structural proximity allows advanced small modular reactors (SMRs) to feed power directly into data centers without losing energy over long-distance transmission grids. [10, 11, 12, 13, 14]
3. Dedicated Financial Support for Tech "Hyperscalers"
