US nuclear power entered 2026 on a stronger footing than it has held in years, supported by federal policy changes and a wave of private investment. The country's 94 licensed reactors generate almost 20 percent of national electricity, and a mix of restarts, license renewals, and new construction is expanding that base.
Policy has cleared several hurdles. The ADVANCE Act, signed into law in July 2024 with bipartisan support, directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to streamline licensing of new reactors and fuels while keeping its safety and security mission intact. Executive orders have set a goal of raising US nuclear capacity from about 100 gigawatts toward 400 gigawatts by 2050.
Regulatory milestones followed. The NRC completed its second plant license renewal in under 12 months, granting the Edwin I. Hatch plant in Georgia another 20 years of operation. For the first time, the commission approved a reactor restart, clearing Holtec's Palisades plant in Michigan to return to service, with Constellation's Crane Clean Energy Center in Pennsylvania set to restart in 2027 and Duane Arnold to follow in 2029.
Analysts see the buildout accelerating. BloombergNEF expects about 15 reactors to come online globally in 2026, adding close to 12 gigawatts of new capacity. Rising electricity demand from AI and data centers is a central driver behind the renewed industrial interest in nuclear generation across the United States.
Source: Nuclear Energy Institute - https://www.nei.org/news/state-of-the-nuclear-industry-2026