SEOUL — South Korea is moving closer to a major U.S. energy investment package worth more than $100 billion, with projects intended to provide the electricity needed for the rapid growth of artificial intelligence infrastructure, according to a Wall Street Journal report cited by Reuters.
The proposed package could fund as many as eight nuclear reactors along with a natural-gas power project, the report said.
South Korea’s trade ministry confirmed that discussions over the investments were still underway, while stressing that the final terms had not been settled.
The projects are expected to be developed over several years. The nuclear program could combine American and South Korean technology. Westinghouse Electric technology would be used for the first reactor, while some later reactors could rely on designs developed by South Korea’s KEPCO.
The package could also include a natural-gas power plant in Texas with an estimated cost of roughly $20 billion. According to the Wall Street Journal, the facility would supply electricity to AI data centers.
The proposed investments follow a broader economic agreement reached by U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in October 2025.
Under that agreement, South Korea pledged $350 billion for investment in U.S. manufacturing, while Washington agreed to limit tariffs on South Korean imports to 15%.
Progress on that broader investment commitment has been delayed, however. Trump has previously threatened to increase tariffs on South Korean goods over the delays.
The new energy projects would expand South Korea’s planned U.S. investments while targeting a key requirement of the AI boom: access to dependable electricity.
The rapid development of AI data centers has pushed up demand for power, leading governments and technology companies to pursue additional electricity-generation capacity.
Nuclear reactors could provide a substantial and consistent supply of electricity, while natural-gas plants could offer another source of power for energy-intensive data-center facilities.
The projects could also give South Korean nuclear technology and engineering companies a larger presence in the U.S. market.
Still, the investment package has not been finalized. South Korea’s trade ministry said negotiations were continuing, while the U.S. Commerce Department and White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment made outside regular business hours.
The potential agreement highlights the growing connection between AI development and energy infrastructure. As data-center construction accelerates, securing sufficient electricity has become increasingly important for governments and companies seeking to expand AI capacity.
If completed, the South Korean package would rank among the largest recent investments associated with meeting the energy demands of the U.S. AI expansion.
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