KENNEWICK -- Amazon will join Energy Northwest in Richland to develop new nuclear power generation in Washington state, the giant Seattle online retailer announced Wednesday morning.

It also is advancing its interest in new nuclear energy with funding for X-energy, a developer of small modular reactors, to expand the company's nuclear equipment manufacturing capability and by working with Dominion Energy to explore the development of a small modular reactor facility in Virginia, Amazon announced.

In Washington state, Amazon has signed an agreement to pay for the initial feasibility phase to develop a small modular reactor project near the Northwest's only commercial nuclear power plant, the Columbia Generating Station.

The plant is 10 miles north of Richland on unused Hanford nuclear site land leased from the federal government.