Amazon and AEP to Explore Deployment of Up to 960MW of X-energy SMRs in Indiana

Amazon has partnered with American Electric Power (AEP) to explore the deployment of nearly 960MW of small modular reactor (SMR) capacity in Indiana, marking the second major deal the e-commerce and cloud computing giant has signed with a regional utility for X-energy's advanced nuclear technology. The agreement underscores a growing trend among hyperscalers to secure carbon-free baseload power for their rapidly expanding data center portfolios.

Under the arrangement, Amazon-backed X-energy will supply 12 of its Xe-100 SMRs, each capable of producing 80MW of electrical capacity and an additional 200MW of thermal power. Once deployed, the reactors are expected to supply electricity both directly to Amazon's data center operations and to the regional power grid operated by AEP. Amazon will fund the project and serve as the first offtaker to purchase power once the reactors become operational. The partners estimate the project could create more than 1,000 construction jobs and over 100 permanent positions.

The deal follows a similar agreement signed in 2024, when Amazon and X-energy partnered with Washington state utility Energy Northwest to develop up to 960MW of capacity from approximately 12 SMRs. The Cascade Advanced Energy Facility is slated for construction outside Richland, Washington, near Energy Northwest's existing Columbia Generating Station. According to Amazon, both projects form part of its broader goal of deploying more than 5GW of nuclear capacity in the US by 2039.

"AEP and its Indiana Michigan Power utility have operated a nuclear power plant for more than 50 years, making them an ideal facility operator. Combined with X-energy's advanced reactor technology and Amazon's long-term commitment to carbon-free energy procurement, the partnership is designed to deliver reliable, affordable, carbon-free power to Indiana communities and businesses for decades," said Josh Weissman, vice president of data center delivery at AWS.

X-energy's Xe-100 is a pebble-bed, high-temperature gas-cooled reactor that uses helium as a coolant. Fuel pebbles roughly the size of a billiard ball power the reactor, with each pebble containing thousands of uranium fuel particles. The company says its fuel and helium coolant prevent a meltdown without requiring active systems or human intervention for safety, allowing the reactors to be built close to urban areas.

X-energy has signed several other deployment agreements, including plans for 6GW in the UK with Centrica and up to 1.44GW in partnership with PJM and Talen in Pennsylvania. The company is also constructing a US-based facility to produce TRISO-X fuel, designed to deliver scalable, safer, and reliable power for industrial and energy applications. Last year, X-energy 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, aiming to mobilize up to $50 billion in public and private investments for Xe-100 projects and expand SMR supply chain capacity.

To fund the development of its SMR technology, X-energy has raised more than $700 million to date, with its latest funding round led by Amazon. The company completed its Initial Public Offering in April, at which time it was valued at $11.9 billion, though more recent estimates place its valuation around $4.1 billion. Amazon is not alone in backing SMRs over the past two years, as a growing number of data center operators and hyperscalers—including Google, Data4, Oracle, Switch, and Equinix—have thrown their support behind the technology in pursuit of reliable, carbon-free power for their facilities.