The US Department of Energy launched an initiative to expand nuclear generating capacity from the existing reactor fleet, targeting 2.5 gigawatts of additional capacity by 2027 and 5 gigawatts by 2029. The Utility Power Reactor Incremental Scaling Effort, unveiled in March, focuses on getting more output from plants already on the grid rather than waiting for new construction.
The program centers on power uprates at operating reactors, license renewals, restarts of dormant plants, and efficiency improvements including advanced fuel. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's expected applications list identifies about 30 planned uprates through 2030, including three applications in 2026 and 16 in 2027. Vistra and Meta announced agreements that would constitute the largest nuclear uprates supported by a corporate customer in the United States, reflecting how data center demand is pulling new investment into the sector.
Restart projects anchor the effort. The Palisades plant in Michigan is backed by a federal loan guarantee of up to 1.52 billion dollars to return an 800-megawatt unit to service, with power production targeted in 2026. The Crane Clean Energy Center, formerly Three Mile Island Unit 1, has a 1 billion dollar federal loan supporting a roughly 1.6 billion dollar restart of an 835-megawatt unit that could return as soon as 2027. The initiative reflects a broader US push to expand reliable baseload power.
Source: POWER Magazine - https://www.powermag.com/doe-unveils-initiative-to-add-5-gw-of-nuclear-capacity-through-uprates-and-restarts/