Amazon backs 960-megawatt nuclear project at Indiana coal site

The proposed plant will occupy the site of a decommissioned coal facility south of Terre Haute. This agreement represents a substantial escalation in the partnership between Amazon and X-energy, tripling the scope of their previous collaboration. Amazon, which spearheaded a $700 million investment round in X-energy last October, envisions a broader strategy to deploy 5 gigawatts of nuclear capacity across the United States by 2039.

Success for the Indiana project hinges on X-energy’s ability to prove the viability of its Xe-100 reactors. The company is currently navigating the final stages of a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission review for its pilot installation at a Dow Chemical site in Texas. That project has faced regulatory scrutiny, including a lawsuit from the state of Texas alleging non-compliance with water and waste permits.

Industry analysts remain cautious about the promise of small modular reactors. While proponents argue that mass manufacturing will stabilize costs and timelines compared to traditional large-scale nuclear projects, the benefits of such production models often take a decade to materialize. Following the announcement, X-energy shares saw a brief uptick in pre-market trading, though the stock has struggled significantly since its April debut on the Nasdaq.