The US nuclear industry is adding generating capacity in 2026 through a combination of reactor restarts, power uprates, and the first new advanced plants, even as the existing fleet holds steady. Utilities currently operate 94 commercial reactors at 54 sites with nearly 97 gigawatts of net capacity, supplying about 19 to 20 percent of the nation electricity.
The year brought a milestone in reactor restarts. For the first time, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the restart of a shut reactor, Holtec Palisades in Michigan, which is scheduled to return to service later this year. Constellation Crane Clean Energy Center in Pennsylvania is set to restart in 2027, adding further capacity from previously retired plants.
The Department of Energy has launched an initiative to add 5 gigawatts of nuclear capacity through uprates and restarts. The NRC expected applications list identifies roughly 30 planned uprates through 2030, including three applications in 2026, 16 in 2027, and eight in 2028. Together, uprates, restarts, longer fuel cycles, and other output increases could add more than 8 gigawatts of capacity over the coming decade.
New construction is advancing as well. Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1 in Wyoming is set to become the first utility scale advanced nuclear plant in the country, supplying power to the PacifiCorp grid with completion anticipated in 2030. The mix of restarts, uprates, and new builds reflects a broad push to expand nuclear output as electricity demand rises.
Source: Nuclear Energy Institute - https://www.nei.org/news/state-of-the-nuclear-industry-2026