Paducah one of four sites selected to help DOE develop AI infrastructure

Paducah has been selected by the Trump administration to be one of four sites nationwide to help the federal government develop Artificial Intelligence infrastructure.

The former site of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant is one of four Department of Energy sites chosen. The goal is to drive development of the emerging technology and place the United States in a leadership position on not only AI, but also in the energy sector. The DOE said Paducah and the other sites were “well-situated for large-scale data centers, new power generation, and other necessary infrastructure.”

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said, "By leveraging DOE land assets for the deployment of AI and energy infrastructure, we are taking a bold step to accelerate the next Manhattan Project—ensuring U.S. AI and energy leadership. These sites are uniquely positioned to host data centers as well as power generation to bolster grid reliability, strengthen our national security, and reduce energy costs.”

President Trump has issued a number of Executive Orders in an effort to position the U.S. at the forefront of the AI race and in nuclear energy production.

Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell praised Paducah’s selection and said, “This is great news for the Paducah community, and I want to thank President Trump for selecting the Paducah Site to host new AI infrastructure. The site at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant has long held a critical role in advancing U.S. national security, and is poised, yet again, to be a national leader in an emerging and important technology. I am proud of the Paducah community and its workforce and know they are prepared to continue working closely with the Department of Energy to further instill PGDP's role in national security while helping facilitate greater U.S. leadership in AI."

The other sites chosen in this round of development were Oak Ridge Reservation, Idaho National Laboratory, and the Savannah River Site.

The DOE said that more information about the next steps at each site will be coming soon.