The Paducah Site in Kentucky. (Photo: DOE)
The Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management has issued a request for offer (RFO) seeking proposals from U.S. companies to build and power AI data centers on the DOE’s Paducah Site in Kentucky. Companies are being sought to potentially enter into one or more long-term leasing agreements at the site that would be solely funded by the applicants.
The DOE-EM is currently overseeing the remediation of the Paducah Site for beneficial reuse. The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant enriched uranium from 1952 to 2013 and was the last government-owned uranium enrichment facility operating in the United States.
According to the DOE-EM, applicants will be responsible for building, operating, and decommissioning each infrastructure project and must secure utility interconnection agreements. Proposals will be evaluated for technological readiness, financial viability, and detailed plans to complete regulatory and permitting requirements.
The AI EOs: According to the DOE-EM, the solicitation is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to promote American leadership in AI and is aligned with the president’s executive orders, “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence,” “Unleashing American Energy,” and “Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure,” which leverage federal land assets to deploy data centers and energy generation projects.
Along with Idaho National Laboratory, the Oak Ridge Reservation, and the Savannah River Site, Paducah is one of four sites identified by the DOE for AI infrastructure and generation projects on federal land.
The deadline for RFOs is January 30, 2026. Additional information can be found at SAM.gov.
Quote: “Paducah has the resources and vision to support the next generation of AI infrastructure, creating new opportunities for prosperity while advancing national security for future generations,” said Tim Walsh, DOE-EM assistant secretary.
