US Utilities Plan 33.6 GW of New Nuclear Power

The Nuclear Energy Institute released its 2026 Future of Nuclear Power survey, showing that 21 American utility companies plan to add 33.6 GW of new nuclear generation over the next 15 years. This expansion is primarily driven by rising electricity demands from artificial intelligence, domestic manufacturing, and general electrification, with a large portion of the new capacity targeted for 2035-2039.

Industry efforts focus heavily on longevity and recovery. Over 97% of surveyed units are pursuing operation extensions to reach 80 or 100 years of service. Additionally, the institute estimates that fleet improvements and the restart of plants such as Three Mile Island and Palisades could contribute 7 GW of generation over the next decade.

While utilities are increasingly targeting data centers for power, interest in hydrogen generation has vanished following changes to congressional tax credits. Despite these long-term utility ambitions, the financial markets have reacted poorly to nuclear developers. Stocks for companies like Oklo and NuScale Power, along with nuclear-themed ETFs, have seen significant year-to-date losses as investors wait for projects to move from the planning phase to grid-scale construction.