Answer
Are data centers going nuclear?
Yes. Grid-tie waits are approaching a decade in the fastest-growing data-center regions, and hyperscalers have started signing power-purchase agreements with existing reactors and financing brand-new small modular reactor (SMR) builds. As of 2026-08-24, the DEPLOY registry tracks 3 data-center-linked nuclear projects totaling 8.0 GW of announced or contracted capacity.
The pattern comes in three flavors. First, PPAs with existing nuclear stations, like AWS buying Susquehanna output next door to a new Cumulus campus. Second, hyperscaler-backed new-build SMRs, like Fermi America’s planned four-unit reactor cluster in Amarillo. Third, gigawatt-scale grid-nuclear PPAs backing new AI-training campuses, like Meta’s Vistra deal for the Prometheus site in Ohio.
Every tracked nuclear project
- Fermi America HyperGrid (Project Matador)4.00 GWAdvanced nuclear reactors (four ~1 GW units)
- 2.10 GW
- AWS Susquehanna (Cumulus) Nuclear-Coupled Data Center Campus1.92 GWSusquehanna nuclear station power supply
Related answers
- Why are people against data centers?
The four sourced grievances: water, on-site fossil generation, grid strain, land/tax deals.
- Who has the biggest AI data center?
Data-center leaderboard by critical IT megawatts.
- How many data centers are in the US?
The verified count of US data-center facilities, broken down by lifecycle status.
- How many data centers do the hyperscalers have?
Head-to-head facility counts for AWS, Microsoft, Google, Meta, Oracle, Apple, IBM.
Rebuilt every 15 minutes from data_center_power_projects. Includes any project with type nuclear/SMR or a matching name pattern. Some capacity figures are announced, not contracted; each row’s facility page carries the primary sources.