NewsStocksAmazon Plans $5 Billion Data Center Campus Beside Vistra's Comanche Peak Nuclear Plant

Amazon Plans $5 Billion Data Center Campus Beside Vistra's Comanche Peak Nuclear Plant

Author: CryptoBriefing·

Key Takeaways

  • •Amazon's Project Spectrum entails a roughly $5 billion investment in a 435-acre data center campus with up to 18 buildings for cloud and AI workloads, situated next to the Comanche Peak nuclear plant in Somervell County, Texas.
  • •The project is anchored by a 20-year power purchase agreement for up to 1,200 MW of electricity from Comanche Peak, delivered via dedicated transmission lines that avoid routing through Texas's broader grid.
  • •The build-out targets initial energization in 2027, delivery in the fourth quarter of 2027, and full ramp-up by 2032, with local approvals granted in February 2026.
  • •The development is projected to create at least 550 full-time jobs paying above the county average, alongside a tax package including $2.5 million at groundbreaking and up to $5.4 million annually if all 18 buildings are completed.
  • •Amazon plans to source water from an industrial reservoir rather than drinking supplies and is investing $3.75 million in efficiency measures expected to return more than 330 million gallons per year to the basin.
Amazon Plans $5 Billion Data Center Campus Beside Vistra's Comanche Peak Nuclear Plant

Amazon is planning a data center campus near Glen Rose, Texas, on land owned by power generator Vistra, with the site sitting directly beside the Comanche Peak nuclear power plant in Somervell County.

The development, known as Project Spectrum, is being led by Amazon Data Services. It covers approximately 435 acres and carries a projected investment of roughly $5 billion.

Up to 18 Buildings Tied to a 20-Year Nuclear Power Deal

The plan calls for up to 18 buildings designed to handle Amazon's cloud services and artificial intelligence workloads. Project Spectrum is anchored by a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) — a long-term contract in which a buyer commits to purchasing electricity from a generator — for up to 1,200 MW of electricity from Comanche Peak. That commitment length extends well beyond the campus's own ramp-up, which completes in 2032.

The timeline runs in stages — initial energization targeted for 2027, delivery aimed at the fourth quarter of 2027, and full ramp-up expected by 2032 — giving the project a series of concrete checkpoints as the build-out progresses.

The PPA was first disclosed in September 2025, and Amazon was confirmed as the buyer in February 2026.

Dedicated Lines, Net Metering and Backup Generation

Power from Comanche Peak is set to flow to the campus through dedicated transmission lines, allowing electricity to reach the facility without being routed through Texas's broader grid. The arrangement also includes a net metering agreement — an accounting setup that tracks power flowing in and out, so the customer is billed on the balance rather than on every individual kilowatt. The overall setup — a data center sited next to its power source and wired directly to it — is what the industry calls co-location.

Amazon also plans to install backup generation at the site.

Jobs, Taxes and Water

Project Spectrum is projected to create at least 550 full-time jobs, with wages above the county average. Construction is expected to bring thousands more jobs during the build-out phase.

The tax abatement package includes $2.5 million at groundbreaking, plus $300,000 annually per building once each is completed. If all 18 buildings are constructed, the per-building payments would add up to $5.4 million a year.

On the water front, Amazon plans to draw from an industrial reservoir rather than tapping drinking supplies. The company is also putting $3.75 million into efficiency measures expected to return more than 330 million gallons per year to the basin.

Local approvals for the project came through in February 2026.

Why Nuclear

Nuclear plants offer baseload power — steady output around the clock, regardless of weather or time of day. That output profile suits data centers running cloud and AI workloads, which draw power continuously rather than intermittently. By pulling electricity through dedicated lines from a plant next door, Amazon sidesteps some of the complexity of Texas's wider grid.

What the Deal Means

For Vistra, the agreement turns land and nuclear output into a long-term revenue stream with one of the world's biggest companies. A 20-year contract for up to 1,200 MW provides the kind of revenue visibility that power producers rarely obtain.

For Amazon, the project secures a large block of reliable power to support cloud and AI expansion, with energization targeted for 2027 and full ramp-up by 2032.

Dedicated transmission arrangements and net metering deals for massive loads draw scrutiny from regulators and grid operators, especially as Texas reviews how data centers connect to its system. How that review develops, whether the campus meets its 2027 energization target, and how many of the planned 18 buildings ultimately get built are the markers to watch. The projected jobs, tax payments and water commitments all depend on that build-out proceeding as described.

Source: CryptoBriefing