Company’s ‘plug-and-play’ nuclear plant ‘the best way to meet demand quickly’
US-based micro-nuclear technology developer Last Energy has unveiled ambitious plans to build 30 microreactors in northwest Texas to serve data centre customers across the state.
The company said on 28 February it will build its microreactors on a 200-acre (80-hectare) site in Haskell County, to the west of Dallas, and provide power to offtakers via a mix of private wires and grid transmission.
The company has already filed for a grid connection with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (Ercot) and is preparing to file for an early site permit with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Last Energy said its plans are in response to overwhelming demand from US-based data centre developers over the last year and make data centres its largest customer segment.
Of the company’s existing commercial agreements, which entail the delivery of over 80 microreactors across Europe, half will serve data centres. Last Energy’s Texas site would increase the company’s development capacity by another 30 units, and enable the development of a commercial pipeline throughout the US.
Texas is currently home to over 340 data centres which consume nearly 8 GW of power and make up 9% of all Texas electricity demand. In the Dallas-Fort Worth region alone, data centres are expected to drive an additional 43 GW of demand.
Last Energy’s PWR-20 microreactor is designed to be mass manufactured so production can be scaled to user demand. It produces 20 MW of output and is designed for flexible siting and “plug-and-play” installation.
Last Energy has built two full-scale prototypes in Texas with local manufacturing partners. The company has also held multiple demonstration events in Texas with industry and government stakeholders.
In addition to developing its site in Texas, Last Energy is exploring projects in Utah.
The company said in an email that nuclear power is the most sustainable way to meet data centre demand, but only if nuclear development becomes faster and more flexible.
Big Tech Companies Turning To Nuclear
Last Energy said its approach gives Texas a model to meet demand more quickly, delivering plants in 24 months with purely private financing.
Bret Kugelmass, Last Energy’s founder and chief executive officer, said Texas is the US’s undisputed energy leader, but skyrocketing population growth and data centre development is forcing policymakers, customers and energy providers to embrace new technologies.
“Nuclear power is the most effective way to meet Texas’ demand, but our solution – plug-and-play microreactors, designed for scalability and siting flexibility – is the best way to meet it quickly.”
Several major technology companies, including Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft are looking at nuclear plants to power their data centres and AI initiatives.
Data centres consume a substantial and growing share of the world’s electricity with International Energy Agency estimates ranging between 240 and 340 TWh in 2022. Data centre capacity is expected to double by 2030.
In October 2024, Last Energy announced £300m (€359m, $391m) plans to deploy four microreactors in South Wales at a vacant site that housed the coal-fired Llynfi Power Station from 1951 to 1977.
