Trump Cabinet Joins Utah Governor at Operation Gigawatt Energy Summit
Governor Spencer Cox hosted the Operation Gigawatt Summit in Park City, Utah on May 22, drawing Energy Secretary Chris Wright, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, White House Science Advisor Michael Kratsios, and NRC Chairman Ho K. Nieh for a day-long session on America’s AI energy buildout. The gathering produced one signed commitment: Utah and the White House Permitting Improvement Steering Council inked a memorandum of understanding to coordinate state and federal approvals for critical energy infrastructure, a template the administration wants to replicate in other states.
The competitive thread running through every session was China. “China understands that whoever can produce power the fastest and the cheapest will own the future of AI,” said investor Sal Churi of Trust Ventures at the summit. The US leads on AI capability right now, and energy access is the variable that changes that.
Faster nuclear permitting was the central thread, with the NRC chairman at the table alongside governors and private developers. That combination is unusual. Watch whether the Utah-federal permitting MOU produces measurable timeline reductions or stays in the category of signed-but-not-enforced agreements. (Deseret News)
SpaceX Pays $185M for xAI’s First Data Center
SpaceX paid $185 million for a 785,000-square-foot data center in Memphis, Tennessee, marking xAI’s first data center. The property previously traded in December 2023 for $35 million when Phoenix Investors acquired it from Electrolux.
In its IPO filing, SpaceX disclosed xAI will buy another $2.8 billion worth of turbines for AI infrastructure over the next three years, including $2 billion specifically for mobile gas turbines. That is the same type of turbine generating legal trouble. The NAACP sued xAI last month for operating dozens of unregulated gas turbines, with xAI using 46 turbines despite permits for only 15. The EPA ruled earlier this year that xAI was operating the turbines in violation of federal law.
xAI separately received permission from Mississippi regulators on April 29 to install 41 natural gas turbines generating 1.2 GW at a former Duke Energy power plant site in Southaven to power its Colossus 2 and Colossus 3 data centers. The company is building its own shadow grid rather than wait for utilities. Watch whether other hyperscalers follow this model or if permitting battles slow the approach. (Commercial Property Executive)
NRC Accepts NANO Nuclear Microreactor Construction Permit
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission formally accepted NANO Nuclear Energy’s construction permit application on May 20 for its KRONOS microreactor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, initiating formal safety, environmental, and technical review. The application was submitted March 31 by the University of Illinois, NANO Nuclear’s partner for the planned full-scale reactor.
The KRONOS system is now among a small group of Generation IV advanced nuclear reactors, and the company believes it is the first commercially-ready microreactor to progress to the construction permit application stage of the NRC’s formal licensing process. Based on NANO Nuclear’s current understanding, the company estimates the NRC formal review will be completed in 2027, providing the opportunity to begin nuclear construction activities at the university.
This matters because microreactors are the only nuclear tech that can potentially match data center deployment timelines. Traditional large reactors take a decade or more. The KRONOS microreactor is designed to provide energy for applications including data centers, industrial facilities, remote communities, mining projects, and military bases. If NANO Nuclear can build and operate by late 2027, it will set the commercial pace for an entire category. (Globe Newswire)
Ontario’s 250 MW Battery Project Goes Live Ahead of Schedule
Ameresco’s joint venture with Atura Power began commercial operations at a 250 MW/1,000 MWh battery energy storage project in Napanee, Ontario on May 19, approximately five weeks ahead of schedule and on budget. Ontario’s Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce announced the project’s operational status.
The project was a winner in the Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator’s Long-Term 1 competitive tender in 2023, which awarded over 850 MW of battery storage capacity contracts. Energy storage is the mechanism that makes intermittent renewables work with AI data center loads that run 24/7. Batteries smooth the gap.
Ontario’s grid operator launched a Long Lead-Time request for proposal earlier this month seeking to procure up to 800 MW of long-duration energy storage. Canada is building storage faster than most U.S. states. (Energy Storage News)
DOE Awards $94M to Eight Companies for SMR Deployment
The Department of Energy on May 14 selected eight companies to receive more than $94 million in federal cost-shared funding to support near-term deployment of advanced light-water small modular reactors in the United States by addressing gaps in licensing, supply chain, and site preparation. Small modular reactors are factory-built nuclear plants with smaller output than traditional gigawatt-scale reactors.
Recipients include Constellation SMR Development ($17.3 million) to pursue an NRC Early Site Permit in New York, Nebraska Public Power District ($27.9 million) for a permit in Nebraska, and BWXT Nuclear Energy ($21.4 million) to procure equipment for reactor pressure vessel assembly in Mount Vernon, Indiana. DOE announced $800 million in Tier 1 awards in December 2025 to Tennessee Valley Authority and Holtec Government Services to advance initial projects in Tennessee and Michigan.
These are preparation grants, not construction money. But site permits and supply chain investments are the long poles in the tent for nuclear deployment. Watch whether these projects can secure power purchase agreements with tech companies before breaking ground. (Department of Energy)
DOE’s $1.9B SPARK Transmission Program Closes Applications
The Department of Energy’s SPARK program closed its full application window on May 20, wrapping up competition for approximately $1.9 billion in grid upgrade funding. SPARK, which stands for Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades, finances replacing old transmission lines with advanced conductors that carry more power on the same towers without building new right-of-way, one of the fastest and cheapest ways to expand grid capacity.
The program prioritizes projects that can move power to large new loads, which in 2026 means data centers. It is part of the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program, authorized at up to $10.5 billion over five years through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Reconductoring rarely makes headlines. It is also typically faster to permit and deploy than new nuclear or gigawatt-scale batteries, and it uses infrastructure that already exists. The question now is who applied and whether DOE selects projects that actually close existing bottlenecks rather than upgrade lines that were already unconstrained. Awards are expected later this year. (Department of Energy)
Have fun this week,
Will
Sources
The next space race is here: China vs. U.S. in AI race | Deseret News
Energy and political power brokers descend on Utah for Operation Gigawatt | Deseret News
SpaceX Pays $185M in Memphis for 1st xAI Data Center | Commercial Property Executive
Musk’s xAI is being sued over its data center generators — now it’s buying $2.8B more | TechCrunch
250MW/1,000MWh Ontario BESS begins commercial operations | Energy Storage News