Amazon has revealed further plans for its first small modular reactor (SMR) facility in Washington state, in partnership with SMR developer X-energy and utility Energy Northwest.

The Cascade Advanced Energy Facility will be built outside Richland, Washington, near Energy Northwest’s existing Columbia Generating Station. It will make up the first phase of Energy Northwest’s and X-energy’s plan to construct up to 12 SMRs across the utility's footprint, intended to help power artificial intelligence data centers.

“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."

When constructed, the facility is expected to comprise three 320MW sections to make up the complete 960MW plant. The first 320MW block will comprise four of X-energy’s 80MWe (electric) and 200MWt (thermal) Xe-100 SMRs. Xe-100 is a pebble-bed, high-temperature gas-cooled reactor. Fuel pebbles - about the size of a billiard ball - power the reactor, with each pebble containing thousands of uranium fuel particles.

Following the initial phase, the partners will have the option to expand to 12 units, reaching 960MW of capacity. Construction at the site is expected to commence by the end of the decade, with operations to start sometime in the 2030s.

The 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 struck the initial deal with Energy Northwest and X-energy to develop the site almost exactly a year ago. In addition to the Cascade deployment, Amazon made a direct investment in X-energy, as part of the company’s Series C-1 financing round, which raised $500 million. The investment includes manufacturing capacity to develop SMR equipment to support more than 5GW of new nuclear energy projects utilizing X-energy’s technology by 2039.

“One year ago, we set out with Amazon to reimagine the way in which we advance new energy projects in the United States, and how we power technologies like AI that are driving our economy forward,” said J. Clay Sell, chief executive officer of X-energy.

To support the reactor's development, Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Washington, secured funding from the Department of Energy to launch the Energy Learning Center. The center includes an education simulator that replicates X-energy's Xe-100 control room. The education simulator that replicates X-energy's Xe-100 control room and provides an educational pathway for students seeking to develop skills in the advanced nuclear sector.

"Investing in advanced training simulators prepares future operators and builds the foundation for a clean energy workforce that will power our region for decades to come," said Bob Schuetz, chief executive officer of Energy Northwest. "This interactive experience helps demystify nuclear energy and goes beyond the textbook, showing students that a viable, meaningful career in clean energy is within reach - and that they can be part of something transformative."

Earlier this year, X-energy and Amazon signed an agreement with South Korea’s Doosan Enerbility and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. to accelerate the deployment of new SMRs in the US. As part of the collaboration, the companies aim to mobilize up to $50 billion in public and private investments for Xe-100 projects and to expand SMR supply chain capacity to support its growth.

Amazon is not the only major tech firm to back SMRs over the last two years. A swathe of other data center operators and hyperscalers have supported the technology. Notable examples include Google, Data4, Oracle, Switch, and Equinix.