A Massive, Trump-Backed Power Plant May Be Too Big to Succeed
Key takeaways
- It would be a logistical feat, and energy analysts warn that the whole plan could fall apart.
- But there was little hint of the challenges when U.S.
- In five words, Lutnick explained how negotiations for such a large endeavor came together in a few months. “We’re operating in Trump time,” he told the crowd ahead of a ceremonial groundbreaking.
Why this matters: environmental and climate reporting with long-term consequences.
May 2, 2026 Share This Article Republish. Officials and local workers pose for photos following the ceremonial groundbreaking for Soft Bank’s PORTS Technology Campus near Piketon, Ohio. Credit: Dan Gearino/Inside Climate News Related Two Wildly Different Data Centers Reveal a ‘Fork in the Road’ on How to Meet Electricity Demand A Gas Plant Proposal for Rural Virginia Gets Local Land Use Approval Georgia Power Gas Expansion Would Drive Significant Climate-Damaging Pollution Share This Article Republish Most Popular Nearly One-Fifth of Americans Are Consuming Water With High Levels of Nitrates The Next El Niño Could Lock Earth Into a Hotter Climate A Bill to Gut Endangered Species Protections Faced a Major Setback This Week PIKETON, Ohio—At the edge of Appalachia, on a site where crews have worked for decades on nuclear waste remediation, the Trump administration aims to build the largest power plant and data center in the country.
It would be a logistical feat, and energy analysts warn that the whole plan could fall apart.
But there was little hint of the challenges when U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick took the stage here in March to announce the project, with AC/DC’s “Back in Black” as his walk-on music.