A proposed 1-gigawatt artificial intelligence data center at Savannah River Site is closer to starting construction.
The U.S. Department of Energy has chosen Amentum to enter negotiations for a phased lease to develop the data center and a power plant to run it, according to the National Nuclear Safety Administration.
The project plan "pairs new AI infrastructure with dedicated onsite energy generation, helping ensure the project’s electricity needs are met without shifting costs to existing utility customers," the NNSA said in a statement. "The project includes a 1-gigawatt data center and approximately 2 gigawatts of onsite energy generation consisting of natural gas bridging
to nuclear energy."
The government's selection of Amentum does not mean it has been or will be awarded the final lease.By working with the private sector, according to NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams, "we can move faster, apply innovative technologies, and make productive use of federal land while maintaining our commitment to mission delivery."
Williams said in September 2025 that "the work being carried out at NNSA to harness AI will have an impact on national security as the Manhattan Project did in the 1940s."
Sprawling DOE land assets such as SRS – it covers more than 300 square miles across three South Carolina counties – are being leveraged to entice private-sector investors to build more data centers.
Data center construction is exploding as the global digital economy grows. The centers handle massive amounts of information to, among other aspects of daily life, run AI tools.
Amentum oversees logistics and technical services to many U.S. government agencies, specializing in nuclear security and cybersecurity.
SRS was one of four federal sites selected to participate in the program outlined in President Donald Trump's Executive Orders on Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure, Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security and Unleashing American Energy.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Savannah River Site AI data center moves closer to construction
