The US nuclear industry has a substantial pipeline of capacity expansion underway through power uprates, which increase the licensed output of existing reactors. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's expected applications list identifies roughly 30 planned uprates through 2030, including three applications in 2026, 16 in 2027, and eight in 2028, with additional cases in later years.

Together, those projects represent about 2.5 gigawatts of potential new capacity, equivalent to roughly 7,694 megawatts thermal, if all are approved and implemented. The uprates fall into several categories, including measurement uncertainty recapture uprates, stretch power uprates, and the larger extended power uprates that account for most of the planned capacity.

Federal financing is accelerating the pipeline. The Department of Energy's UPRISE program, launched in March 2026, targets 5 gigawatts of additional nuclear capacity by 2029 and offers up to 80 percent financing for qualifying projects. A $26.5 billion loan package closed with Southern Company subsidiaries in February 2026 supports uprates totaling 345 megawatts across six units.

Demand signals reinforce the trend. Walmart signed its first nuclear power purchase agreement for about 176 megawatts from Constellation's Dresden plant, including output from a planned uprate. That kind of corporate commitment gives utilities added confidence to pursue capacity additions.

The data points to uprates emerging as one of the fastest and most cost-effective routes to expanding US nuclear output in the near term.

Source: World Nuclear Association - https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-t-z/usa-nuclear-power