The Race To Quadruple US Nuclear Generation Is Underway

What to Know (AI Generated)

• Both the Biden and Trump administrations have backed nuclear expansion, with Trump setting a goal of quadrupling US nuclear generation by 2050.
• Tech giants including Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon have signed major nuclear power deals to meet surging data center electricity demand.
• New bipartisan legislation and over $80 billion in federal financing aim to de-risk investment in new reactors and small modular reactors.

Federal policy continuity, bipartisan legislation, and tech-sector demand are accelerating efforts to expand US nuclear generation capacity by mid-century.

While other energy sources have experienced “policy whiplash”, there has been broad continuity between the Biden and Trump administrations with respect to nuclear energy. The Biden administration called for tripling nuclear generation by 2050, and President Donald Trump, in his May 23, 2025, executive orders, set a goal of quadrupling nuclear generation by mid-century. This policy continuity is accelerating momentum in the nuclear energy industry at a time when there is a critical need to add new megawatts (MW) to the grid to meet surging electricity demand, driven principally by data centers. Since May 23, 2025, we have seen significant progress in setting the foundation for meeting these ambitious 2050 goals.

Federal Policy and Bipartisan Support Drive Nuclear Expansion 

A significant short-term source of new nuclear capacity is uprates at existing reactors and the restarts of shuttered reactors. In February, the Department of Energy (DOE) finalized a loan package with Southern Company that will enable the utility to add 6 MW of nuclear to the grid through uprates and license renewals. Last November, DOE finalized a loan to Constellation Energy to finance the restart of the Three Mile Island plant (now known as the Crane Clean Energy Center). The loan will support Constellation’s largest-ever power purchase agreement with Microsoft, where the Crane Clean Energy Center will provide 835 MW to support Microsoft’s data center power needs.

As to deploying new large light-water reactors, Cameco and Brookfield Renewable, the owners of Westinghouse, entered into a strategic partnership with the Department of Commerce (DOC) in October. Under this strategic partnership, DOC will arrange at least $80 billion in financing to support the deployment of new reactors, including AP1000s. The strategic partnership can bolster the supply chain and workforce for new reactors and support the president’s goal in his May 23, 2025, executive order of commencing construction of at least 10 new large light-water reactors by 2030. Efforts to deploy new AP1000s domestically also support the competitiveness of US civilian nuclear exports vis-à-vis Russia and China in geopolitically strategic markets.

DOE has also taken action to support the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs). In March 2025, DOE reissued a $900 million funding solicitation for the Generation III+ SMR Reactor Pathway for Deployment, representing the Department’s first funding solicitation under the Trump administration. Last November, DOE awarded the Tennessee Valley Authority and Holtec $400 million each in cost-share funding to advance their respective SMR projects. DOE recently announced another $94 million in funding to eight companies to support site preparation, licensing, and supply chain efforts associated with SMRs.

Beyond DOE’s loan announcements, bipartisan work in Congress continues to support nuclear energy. In February, Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) and Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) introduced the Accelerating Reliable Capacity (ARC) Act, which would create a new program within DOE’s loan office to help offset construction cost overruns. In April, Representatives Pat Harrigan (R-NC) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) introduced the Nuclear Rate Stabilization Act, which would revise the rules related to the investment tax credit in order to make it easier for utilities to monetize this incentive for new reactors. These pieces of legislation represent important efforts to de-risk utilities’ final investment decisions for new reactors.

Big Tech Partnerships Accelerate Advanced Nuclear Deployment 

Beyond federal efforts, the tech industry continues to drive the promise of new nuclear energy. Under a 20-year power purchase agreement signed in January, Vistra will provide 2,176 MW of nuclear capacity, including 433 MW in power updates, to power Meta’s operations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland. In another agreement unveiled in January, Meta is supporting Oklo’s efforts to develop 1.2 gigawatts (GW) of advanced nuclear generation on DOE-owned land in Portsmouth, Ohio. Last October, Amazon unveiled plans for the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility in Washington, where Energy Northwest will deploy 12 X-energy SMRs.

Quadrupling Nuclear Generation Will Require Sustained Execution 

This progress over the last year lays a strong foundation for further progress in the coming years in meeting the ambitious goals of quadrupling nuclear generation by 2050. The need for this baseload, non-emitting power is only becoming more apparent every day with projections of meteoric load demands for the foreseeable future.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.