Amazon announced a roughly $500 million investment in X-energy and related nuclear development agreements to help supply power for its growing data center and cloud infrastructure needs. The centerpiece of the plan is a partnership with Energy Northwest in Washington state to develop four advanced small modular reactors, with an initial output of about 320 megawatts and a possible expansion to 960 megawatts. The deal is part of Amazon’s broader push to secure carbon-free electricity while meeting rising energy demand from data centers and other operations. Amazon says the X-energy investment will help fund reactor design, licensing, and fuel production, and that the company aims to support more than 5 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity in the U.S. by 2039 through direct investments and power purchase agreements. The announcement matters because it shows how major tech companies are turning to advanced nuclear power, not just wind and solar, to provide round-the-clock electricity for AI and cloud growth. It also gives X-energy a major commercial backer and could help accelerate the deployment of small modular reactors if permitting, financing, and construction proceed as planned.

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