Amazon and Energy Northwest Announce Plans to Develop Advanced Nuclear Technology in Washington

Amazon (Nasdaq; AMZN) and Energy Northwest, a public power agency leading in the development of next-generation nuclear technologies, today announced an agreement to fund efforts to move toward development and deployment of small modular reactor (SMR) technology in Washington state to advance reliable energy across the Northwest.

As the demand for energy resources continue to rise, Energy Northwest and Amazon recognize the urgent need to develop advanced technologies in the Pacific Northwest that provide reliable, carbon-free and sustainable energy generation. SMRs offer a promising solution to that need through scalable and flexible energy output.

Through the agreement, Amazon will fund the initial feasibility phase of an SMR project, which is planned to be sited near Energy Northwest's Columbia Generating Station nuclear energy facility in Richland, Washington.

“As a member of Washington's business community, Amazon is committed to investing in new nuclear energy technologies that can help power our operations and provide net-new, safe sources of carbon-free energy to the grid," said Kevin Miller, Amazon's Vice President of Global Data Centers. “We're proud to be working with Energy Northwest, a utility company that's also thinking big about meeting society's growing energy demands while addressing climate change. This new SMR project is a significant step toward Amazon's Climate Pledge commitment to reach net-zero carbon across our operations by 2040, and signifies our continued dedication to becoming a more sustainable company."

“We are excited about this collaboration with Amazon and are impressed with their vision for helping develop new nuclear technologies and their desire to also make this resource available to utilities in the future," said Greg Cullen, Vice President for Energy Services & Development at Energy Northwest. “We've been working for years to develop this project at the urging of our members, and have found that taking this first, bold step is difficult for utilities, especially those that provide electricity to ratepayers at the cost of production. We applaud Amazon for being willing to use their financial strength, need for power and know-how to lead the way to a reliable, carbon-free power future for the region."

The SMRs will be the Xe-100 design, a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor developed by X-energy, a global leader in advanced nuclear reactor and fuel technology. Each Xe-100 module can provide 80 megawatts of full-time electricity. Energy Northwest and X-energy have engaged extensively on plans for an Xe-100 facility since 2020.

Under the agreement, Amazon will have the right to purchase electricity from the first project (four modules), which is expected to generate 320 megawatts (MW) of energy capacity. Energy Northwest has the option to further build out the site by adding up to eight additional modules (640 MWs) resulting in a total project generating capacity of up to 960 MWs. This additional power will be available to Amazon and northwest utilities to power homes and businesses.

As the owner and operator of Columbia Generating Station, the Pacifi​c Northwest's only nuclear generating facility, and as a developer and operator of additional clean energy and storage resources, Energy Northwest is well-equipped to develop this project.
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This collaboration between Energy Northwest and Amazon demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships in driving innovation and accelerating the progression of sustainable energy solutions. It also paves the way for public power entities to develop and build future SMRs to help meet the region's growing energy demands.