New figures presented by the Nuclear Energy Institute outline the scale of nuclear power's role in the US electricity system and the pipeline of projects now in motion. According to NEI's 2026 State of the Nuclear Energy Industry address, the nation's 94 licensed power reactors generate almost 20 percent of US electricity.

The development pipeline is expanding quickly. NEI counts 90 nuclear projects in development across North America, with 8 already breaking ground and many aiming to start operation by 2030. A separate NEI survey found utilities are pursuing license renewals at 20 plants and power uprates at 29 units, while utility members have 23.4 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity planned over the next 15 years.

Longevity is another defining statistic: 95 percent of the current fleet intends to operate for 80 years or more, meaning reactors under construction today could still be producing power in 2100.

Investment figures track the same trajectory. Morgan Stanley now projects 2.2 trillion dollars in nuclear investment through 2050, a 47 percent increase from the prior year's projection, and nuclear startups raised nearly 3 billion dollars in 2025. Technology companies have roughly 40 gigawatts of nuclear power in their procurement pipeline.

Regulatory throughput is improving as well. NEI reports subsequent license renewal timelines have been cut by more than 50 percent, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission completed its fastest-ever license renewal for Duke Energy's Robinson Unit 2 in South Carolina.

Source: Nuclear Energy Institute -- https://www.nei.org/news/state-of-the-nuclear-industry-2026