Department of Energy to repurpose Kentucky uranium enrichment site for AI data center and gas power complex

The U.S. Department of Energy is moving to repurpose a Cold War-era uranium enrichment site in Kentucky into an AI-oriented power complex that officials say will be used to support data center development, according to a report from LEX18. The proposal ties the federal effort to surging electricity demand associated with artificial intelligence, and it reflects a broader push to reuse federal industrial sites for new missions rather than leaving them idle after their original purpose ended.

LEX18 reported that the Department of Energy’s effort would involve converting the existing uranium-plant infrastructure into a combination of power generation capabilities and data center-related capacity. The plan, as described in the report, calls for creating a gas power complex alongside the data center use case, with the intent of providing the electric capacity needed for computing facilities that are expanding to serve AI workloads.

Officials framing the proposal in the report point to the “artificial intelligence boom” as a driver of the project. By moving to repurpose legacy energy and industrial assets, the Department of Energy is positioning the Kentucky project as part of its strategy to support national energy and infrastructure needs while making use of property and systems associated with previous uranium enrichment operations.

Because the project is described as a conversion of a uranium enrichment site, it is also linked to the federal government’s oversight of environmental and safety issues at Department of Energy facilities. While the LEX18 report centers on the repurposing for AI and power, the underlying transition from enrichment-era operations to civilian power and data center use typically depends on regulatory compliance and safety planning for the site’s former industrial functions, the report indicates through its description of the Cold War-era setting.

The report does not describe in detail the specific permitting steps or project timeline for final construction or operation. However, it describes the plan as a bid by the Department of Energy to harness AI-driven power demand and to convert another uranium enrichment location, suggesting a model that could inform how federal agencies manage similar legacy sites.

For Kentucky, the practical implications of the proposal would be tied to where the electrical capacity would come from, how the gas power component would be integrated, and what kinds of jobs and local economic activity might follow from building and operating the resulting facilities. The report’s focus on both AI data center support and a natural-gas power complex indicates that the project is intended to address not only computing demand, but also the reliability and supply of electricity.

The LEX18 report places the project within the Department of Energy’s broader role in nuclear and energy infrastructure management. As the effort moves forward, the main issues for public accountability would likely include how the federal government measures costs, environmental compliance, and performance outcomes, along with what public process and oversight accompany the repurposing of a major industrial site in Kentucky.

The next steps, as suggested by the report’s framing, would be for the Department of Energy to advance the conversion plan through whatever design, planning, and regulatory requirements apply to transforming a former uranium enrichment facility into power-and-data-center infrastructure. Until those details are released through official documents and approvals, the scope, schedule, and local impact remain limited to the broad outlines reported by LEX18.