Inside the Core: Amazon’s Exclusive First Look at Cutting-Edge Nuclear Facility

Amazon’s Plans to Support Nuclear Energy Deployment in Washington State

Amazon recently provided new insights into its initiative to facilitate the expansion of nuclear energy in Washington State, where the company is based.

Approximately a year ago, Amazon disclosed a partnership with Energy Northwest, a group of public utilities in Washington, to assist in the advancement of up to 12 cutting-edge reactors by the early 2030s. Upon completion, Amazon would have the option to procure electricity from the initial 320-megawatt stage of the project. The surplus capacity would be accessible to Amazon and local utilities for utilization.

The distinctive feature of these reactors lies in their small and modular design, which is anticipated to render them more cost-effective and simpler to deploy compared to the current array of nuclear power plants in the United States. Amazon unveiled a series of conceptual images today depicting the potential appearance of the inaugural plant situated outside Richland, Washington. Referred to as the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility, it will comprise three segments with a cumulative capacity of 960 megawatts, sufficient to power approximately 770,000 households in the US. While a conventional reactor with a similar capacity typically spans over a square mile of land, Cascade is projected to occupy only a few city blocks, as per Amazon’s assertions.

In its blog post, Amazon stated that the Cascade facility is anticipated to generate around 100 permanent positions, in addition to over 1,000 construction jobs. Given that these next-generation reactors are still in the developmental phase and necessitate regulatory approval, construction activities are unlikely to commence until the conclusion of the decade.