Amazon unveils plan to build one of the nation's first modular nuclear reactors

Amazon announced that it will participate in the development of a new small modular reactor (SMR, "Small Modular Reactors") complex in Washington, one of the first in the country. The company detailed that the state's utility, Energy Northwest, and SMR developer, X-energy, plan to build up to 12 SMRs using X-energy's advanced nuclear reactor design.

The e-commerce giant announced that the Cascade Advanced Power Plant will be developed in three stages, each consisting of four 80 MW high-temperature gas-cooled, gas-cooled reactors designed by X-energy.

In addition, in a statement, the company explained that Cascade will be built outside Richland, near Energy Northwest's Columbia power plant.

“This project isn't just about new technology; it's about creating a reliable source of carbon-free energy that will support our growing digital world,” said Kara Hurst, Amazon’s chief sustainability officer. “I'm excited about the potential of SMRs and the positive impact they will have on both the environment and local communities."

One of the main features of the future SMR facility is its modular design, consisting of three 320 megawatt (MW) blocks that together total 960 MW of capacity and are spread over an area of just a few city blocks. This, the company highlighted, represents a striking contrast to conventional one-gigawatt nuclear plants, which can stretch over a square mile.

The Cascade Advanced Energy Facility is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs during construction and more than 100 permanent jobs in nuclear operations, engineering and other specialized fields.

Amazon said it expects construction to begin "later this decade," with the hope of generating electricity sometime "in the 2030s."