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NextEra Energy to Build 15 Gigawatts of Power for Data Centers, Announces Partnerships

2025-12-09

The BareStory

NextEra Energy announced plans on Monday to build 15 gigawatts of new power generation for data center hubs across the U.S. by 2035. The company, the largest developer of renewable energy in the country, is launching new partnerships to meet the increasing power demands from large technology companies.

As part of the strategy, NextEra is collaborating with Alphabet’s Google unit to develop three gigawatt-scale data center campuses in the U.S., with plans for future expansion. The company also announced a partnership with Exxon Mobil to develop a large data center site in the Southeast. According to the announcement, this project will be powered by a 1.2-gigawatt natural gas plant combined with Exxon's carbon capture technology. The companies have reportedly secured 2,500 acres for the site and intend to begin marketing it to a large-scale data center operator in early 2026.

NextEra CEO John Ketchum stated that the 15-gigawatt target was "fairly conservative," adding that there is potential to build as much as 30 gigawatts by 2035. According to Ketchum, the data center hubs will be powered by all forms of energy. He said many projects will begin with "bridge power," such as renewables and storage, with natural gas generation to follow.

The plans align with NextEra's existing goal to bring four to eight gigawatts of new gas generation online by 2032. The company is currently developing a pipeline of 20 gigawatts of gas generation. The CEO also acknowledged that significant power demand from AI data centers is creating affordability concerns, suggesting that large tech companies should pay for their own power infrastructure when building new facilities.

Left Perspective

  • The plan outlines an ambitious strategy to meet rising energy needs.
  • The initiative is built on strategic partnerships with major industry players.
  • A multi-faceted energy portfolio will be used to power the new hubs.

Right Perspective

  • The strategy includes a significant expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure.
  • Natural gas is positioned as a core component, not just a temporary solution.
  • The project raises potential energy affordability issues.

How it may affect me

As a U.S. reader:

• The project addresses rising power demand from AI, which the company CEO notes is creating "affordability concerns" that could potentially affect consumer energy costs.

• New power plants, including natural gas and renewable sources, will be built across the U.S. to support data center hubs, affecting local land use.

• This plan will expand both natural gas and renewable energy generation to power new data centers, influencing the nation’s future energy production portfolio.

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