Amazon backs proposed 960 MW Indiana nuclear project

Amazon is backing a proposed nuclear power facility in Indiana that would supply electricity to its expanding data center operations and the regional grid. The plan calls for 12 small modular reactors from X-energy, with a combined planned capacity of 960 megawatts.

Amazon has not disclosed how much it will invest in the Indiana project. The company says it is “investing billions in nuclear energy projects” overall, but the suggestion that its commitment to this project could exceed $1 billion is speculation.

The facility is planned for the former Breed coal generating station site in Sullivan County. Each Xe-100 reactor is designed to produce 80 megawatts, using helium gas for cooling and TRISO uranium fuel particles. X-energy says the fuel resists extreme temperatures; the reactor design aims to limit reliance on active safety systems in certain accident scenarios.

The proposal remains in development, and the United States has no commercial small modular reactor supplying electricity. Amazon led a $700 million financing round for X-energy in 2024, supporting reactor development and fuel production preparations. The Indiana proposal is part of Amazon’s separate goal to add more than 5 gigawatts of nuclear generating capacity across the United States by 2039.

Regulatory approvals and construction coordination remain challenges. An X-energy representative told the South Bend Tribune that the Indiana facility could become operational in the mid-2030s, while cautioning that the schedule could change. A construction permit for X-energy’s separate Texas project would not automatically approve the Indiana facility.