AWS Susquehanna: 1920MW Pennsylvania Nuclear AI Campus
Status: Active / Operational Phase & Expanding | Location: 1,200-acre site adjacent to Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Salem Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USA
Project Overview
Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) Cumulus Susquehanna Data Center Campus in Salem Township, Pennsylvania, represents a landmark milestone in zero-carbon hyperscale digital infrastructure. Originally acquired from Talen Energy’s affiliate Cumulus Growth for $650 million, the 1,200-acre master-planned campus is situated directly adjacent to the 2.5 GW Susquehanna Steam Electric Station nuclear power plant. Supported by a massive $20 billion long-term infrastructure commitment from AWS and a 1,920 MW Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Talen Energy running through 2042, the site serves as a vital computing core for AWS enterprise cloud services and high-density artificial intelligence workloads. The development establishes a unique dual-power distribution framework. While initial phases operated via direct behind-the-meter nuclear interconnections, the campus expanded into a robust front-of-the-meter retail utility model interfaced with PPL Electric Utilities and the PJM Interconnection grid. This configuration provides AWS with direct access to continuous, baseload 24/7 carbon-free nuclear energy while supporting grid stability across Pennsylvania. The multi-building campus is engineered to support next-generation AWS Trainium/Inferentia silicon as well as NVIDIA GPU clusters operating at extreme power densities. Sustainability and resource efficiency are central to the campus master plan. Server halls incorporate advanced closed-loop chilled water and direct-to-chip liquid cooling manifolds, drastically reducing evaporative water consumption compared to traditional cooling towers. The $20B capital deployment acts as a massive economic anchor for Luzerne County, supporting thousands of skilled trade construction positions and creating hundreds of permanent technical roles in power management, network security, and mission-critical engineering.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Project Name | AWS Susquehanna: 1920MW Pennsylvania Nuclear AI Campus |
| Location | 1,200-acre site adjacent to Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Salem Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Status | Active / Operational Phase & Expanding |
| Commissioning | H1 2025 (Initial Phase Live) |
| Total IT Load | 1,600 MW |
| Total Capacity | 1,920 MW (Long-term nuclear power purchase agreement capacity across campus expansion) |
| Tier Level | Tier III Compliant System Architecture |
| Project Type | Greenfield Nuclear-Powered Hyperscale Cloud & High-Density AI Supercomputing Campus |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
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| City Name | pennsylvania |
| Population | 13.1 million (approx.) |
| Urban Agglomeration | 8.5 million+ (combined major metro population including Philadelphia and Pittsburgh regions) |
| City GDP | Approximately USD 1.05 trillion |
| Per Capita Income | Approximately USD 76,000 |
| City Tier | Tier 1 – Major U.S. Economic & Industrial State |
| Key Strengths | Strong manufacturing and industrial base |
Companies Involved
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| Developer / Operator | Amazon Web Services |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | Talen Energy, PPL Electric Utilities, PJM Interconnection, Luzerne County Economic Development |
| Construction Contractor | Leading North American Mission-Critical EPC Contractors |
| MEP Engineering | AWS Infrastructure Design & Specialized Mission-Critical MEP Partners |
| Network Connectivity | Dual subterranean concrete entry vaults, direct redundant dark fiber links into regional Pennsylvania corridors, and carrier-neutral Meet-Me-Rooms. |
| Power Infrastructure | Direct multi-gigawatt connection to Talen Energy’s 2.5 GW Susquehanna Nuclear Station via dedicated high-voltage step-down switchyards. |
Technical Specifications
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| Power Capacity | 1,920 MW gross contracted nuclear power allocation |
| UPS Redundancy | N+1 block-redundant static UPS topology paired with modular emergency standby diesel generator arrays with bulk fuel storage. |
| Cooling System | Closed-loop chilled water distribution combined with direct-to-chip liquid cooling manifolds designed for high-density AI clusters. |
| Connectivity | Carrier-neutral design featuring four physically separated subterranean fiber vaults and dual fortified Meet-Me-Rooms. |
| PUE Target | 1.14 |
| Energy Mix | 100% 24/7 carbon-free nuclear energy sourced directly from the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station. |
Milestones
| Header | Details |
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| Announcement | March 2024 (Campus Acquisition) |
| Construction Start | Q2 2024 |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | H1 2025 |
| Full Buildout | 2032 (Final capacity ramp under long-term Talen power agreement) |
Investment Details
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| Total Investment | $20,650,000,000 USD ($650M initial campus acquisition + $20B site expansion commitment) |
| Funding | Direct corporate capital expenditure via Amazon.com, Inc. balance sheet reserves |