- First US approval for reactor to run on more enriched fuel
- TerraPower expects construction in weeks, operations in 2030
- Company to apply for operating license late 2027/early 2028
The Nuclear Revival: 75 Reactors Currently Being Built
The world is quietly undergoing a fundamental shift in how it generates baseload power. After years of stagnation in the West, the nuclear energy sector is experiencing a massive revival, driven by the dual mandates of decarbonizing power grids and feeding the insatiable electricity demands of electric vehicles and AI data centers. The momentum reached a critical tipping point in March 2026, when China and Brazil officially joined the international pledge to triple global nuclear energy capacity by 2050, bringing the coalition of supportive nations to 38.
Restart of Indian Point Nuclear Plant? ‘Yes,’ Says Holtec Official
A 2-GW nuclear power plant in New York State that was shut down in 2021 could be restarted, an official with Holtec International said. The Indian Point station, which sits near the Hudson River in Buchanan, New York, is the latest among a handful of shuttered U.S. nuclear power facilities being considered for reopening as the U.S. government ramps up its support for nuclear energy to help increase the nation’s power supply.
Lawler, Energy Secretary Chris Wright Visit Indian Point, Call for Rebuilding And Reopening of Nuclear Facilities
Buchanan, N.Y. – 3/6/26… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) welcomed Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright to the site of the former Indian Point Energy Center, where Lawler called for the plant to be rebuilt and reopened as part of an effort to lower energy costs and strengthen the reliability of New York’s electric grid.
Standing at the former power plant site that once supplied roughly a quarter of the region’s electricity, the closure of Indian Point and the blocking of critical energy infrastructure have contributed to higher electricity costs and increased strain on New York’s electric grid.
US approves construction of Bill Gates-backed nuclear reactor in Wyoming
WASHINGTON, March 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. nuclear regulator said on Wednesday it approved construction for the Bill Gates-backed TerraPower small nuclear reactor in Wyoming, the first approval for a plant expected to run on a special, more-enriched uranium fuel.
The approval, the first for a commercial reactor by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in nearly a decade, was for TerraPower's planned 345-megawatt sodium-cooled reactor to be built in Kemmerer, in the western part of the state. It is expected to be operational in the early 2030s.
Pritzker seeks to bring more nuclear power to Illinois
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) signed an executive order this week that will focus on new nuclear generation with a goal of adding at least 2 gigawatts or 2,000 megawatts.
According to the Wednesday order, Pritzker called for the Illinois Power Agency and Illinois Commerce Commission to consult with other agencies and issue a notice of inquiry (NOI) to nuclear companies to build new in-state nuclear generation.
- Inside TerraPower’s World-First Nuclear Project Being Built Just Outside Kemmerer
- DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy Awards $19 Million to Advance Recycling of Used Nuclear Fuel
- Exclusive: Bezos fund backs nuclear initiative with $3.5M grant
- Davos underscored how leaders are navigating global energy crossroads
- Why Billions for Uranium Enrichment Still Won’t Deliver Nuclear Fuel
- Energy Department loans $1B to help finance the restart of nuclear reactor on Three Mile Island
- Six Ways Nuclear Science and Technology Help Protect the Environment
- DOE fast-tracks four nuclear fuel projects
- DOE’s reactor pilot: A turning point for US nuclear energy?
- Gov. Pritzker looks to possible changes in Illinois nuclear
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