Idaho National Laboratory, Nvidia, AWS, and SMR Developers Launch Prometheus Project to Accelerate Nuclear Deployment with AI

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Nvidia, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and a consortium of leading small modular reactor (SMR) developers have launched the Prometheus project, a three-year initiative that seeks to expedite advanced nuclear deployment through the use of artificial intelligence. The project was awarded $60 million under the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Genesis Mission, a program established to foster collaboration between national labs, industry, and academia to harness AI for scientific breakthroughs. The Prometheus initiative received the largest grant among all selected projects.

The project brings together a range of SMR firms, including Westinghouse, GE Vernova, TerraPower, Oklo, X-energy, Aalo Atomics, and HGP. Amazon-backed X-energy is contributing $10 million in private funding to the initiative, along with its proprietary SMR design and fuel fabrication data. X-energy’s Xe-100 SMR and TRISO-X fuel will serve as the technical platform for the research campaign. Founded in 2009, X-energy is developing a pebble-bed, high-temperature gas-cooled SMR. Amazon has directly invested in the company and secured the option to deploy more than 5 GW of Xe-100 projects in the U.S. by 2039, starting with the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility in Washington State. When constructed, the facility is expected to comprise three 320 MW sections, making up a complete 960 MW plant. The first 320 MW block will consist of four of X-energy’s 80 MWe (electric) and 200 MWt (thermal) Xe-100 SMRs. Amazon struck the initial deal with Energy Northwest and X-energy to develop the site last year. X-energy also plans to deploy 6 GW in the UK with Centrica.

The Prometheus project was one of 278 selected under the Genesis Mission Request for Applications (RFA). Other notable projects to receive funding include "Dispatchable Data Centers: AI-Driven Workload Flexibility for Grid-Aware Load Shaping," to be undertaken by the University of Utah, and "From Chip to Chiller: Verifiable Edge AI Agents for Data Center Thermal Management," by The Johns Hopkins University. Several other projects focused on nuclear power were also selected. Of the 278 projects, 87 will be led by the DOE and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) National Laboratories, 168 are led by universities, 19 by companies, and four by nonprofits.

This initiative underscores a growing trend at the intersection of AI and energy infrastructure, where hyperscalers and technology firms are increasingly turning to advanced nuclear power to meet the surging electricity demands of AI data centers. By leveraging AI to optimize reactor design, fuel management, and operational safety, the Prometheus project aims to shorten the timeline for deploying next-generation nuclear plants, addressing one of the most pressing constraints for the data center industry: access to reliable, carbon-free baseload power.