Janice R. Andrews
Amazon has unveiled plans to develop compact nuclear reactors, known as small modular reactors (SMRs), through three new partnerships. This initiative aligns with the company’s green energy goals and aims to enhance power supply in Washington and Virginia.
In Washington state, Amazon is joining forces with Energy Northwest to construct a quartet of SMRs. The initial output is set at 320 megawatts, with potential to triple to 960 megawatts. This project is expected to generate approximately 1,000 temporary and 100 permanent jobs. X-energy will contribute advanced reactor designs to this endeavor.
Simultaneously, Amazon is exploring the possibility of a 300-megawatt SMR project in Virginia, partnering with Dominion Energy.
These nuclear initiatives follow Amazon’s earlier declaration of achieving 100% renewable energy usage. However, skeptics question this claim, pointing out that Amazon’s dependence on broader power grids complicates the assessment of its true renewable energy consumption.
