In the past, the secret ingredient for domination was either gold, silver, or oil. Now, in the new world of artificial intelligence, the key is nuclear power. So, let’s get cooking.
We are seeing the growth of the American economy in practically every sector imaginable — big tech to power AI, oil and gas, manufacturing, and beyond. What do all of these sectors have in common? Their immediate need for baseload, reliable power. Governments around the globe, large energy users, and financiers are now all singing from the same sheet of music: we need more nuclear power.
In the United States, there are ninety-four operating nuclear units — which provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy around the clock. But there is demand for much more. So, in the near term, many of these units will pursue “power uprates,” adding three gigawatts of additional clean, firm energy to the grid. At the same time, two units that had been closed down prematurely (one in Pennsylvania, and one in Michigan) will be brought back on-line, adding another 1.6 gigawatts to the grid.
There are many reasons for this increase in demand, but a primary driver is the recent AI boom, which has resulted in surging demand for reliable electricity, primarily due to the rapid deployment of data centers and the need for more advanced computational power, which consumes significant amounts of energy. In the United States, data center demand is expected to account for an estimated twelve percent of total power consumption by 2030 (a three-times increase from current levels). And by now, we’ve all heard the anecdote: an AI search takes ten times the amount of energy as a normal internet search. Pandora’s box has been opened, and the global population is demanding more energy, not less.
The Trump administration (through recent executive orders and new partnerships such as “Stargate”) has made its intentions clear — the United States will lead the world in the AI revolution. It is a matter of national security. The only thing holding the country back is “speed to power.” So, there’s only one thing to do — time to start building.
There are over sixty planned and considered projects for advanced nuclear reactors across North America. At a handful of sites, construction has already begun, and concrete is being poured. And the more we build, the more we learn. We’ll continue to bolster supply chains and the workforce pipeline. We’ll continue to move down the cost curve. Believe it or not, the United States has successfully scaled nuclear before, and we’re about to do it again.
In April, the Department of Energy signaled its intent to site and deploy data centers on federal lands, to help expedite deployment efforts. The Administration wants construction to begin by the end of this year, with a target of commencing operations by the end of 2027. It is no surprise that the vast majority of federal sites that are being considered for data center deployment are nuclear-centric sites, and paired with a capable nuclear workforce.
Secretary of Energy Chris Wright stated in his first secretarial order that, “The long-awaited American nuclear renaissance must launch during President Trump’s administration. As global energy demand continues to grow, America must lead the commercialization of affordable and abundant nuclear energy. As such, the Department will work diligently and creatively to enable the rapid deployment and export of next-generation nuclear technology.”
As it turns out, the tech sector couldn’t agree more.
To date, nuclear and tech partnerships total over thirty GW of commitment at various sites across the United States, and the numbers (and partnerships) keep growing. Almost all of the major hyperscalers have teamed up with advanced reactor designers, for gigawatt-scale nuclear deployments to meet surging demand and aggressive decarbonization targets. Tech giants, like Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon are turning to power purchase agreements with nuclear utilities to help power their AI goals. And in May, Google announced its plans for three advanced nuclear sites.
When you overlay the administration’s AI goals with a vision for national energy dominance, economic competitiveness, and domestic job creation, nuclear power fits the bill every time. Further, the nuclear sector enjoys continued bipartisan support in Washington, and significant momentum at the state level, paving the way for a bright future. National favorability for nuclear energy, according to outlets like Pew Research and Gallup, is at its highest level in decades. Perhaps that is why President Trump signed four more executive orders on May 23 at the White House, all intended to spur advanced nuclear deployments.
Internationally, geopolitical conflicts have impelled nations to see nuclear power with fresh eyes. Countries like Bulgaria, Canada, Finland, France, Poland, Romania, South Korea, Sweden, and the UK, are turning to new nuclear plants to ensure their energy independence and national security. Further, several dozen countries have pledged to triple nuclear power by 2050. In the United States, the birthplace of nuclear power, our pledge is to quadruple. The time to honor that pledge is now.
The signal to the marketplace is clear: the demand for nuclear is strong and growing. As the nation’s largest source of clean, reliable power, nuclear is uniquely situated to meet the moment at hand. There is an unprecedented opportunity at our doorstep to deploy existing and new reactor technologies, at the fleet scale, due to demand not seen in decades. As a national priority, nuclear power will play a fundamental role in meeting not only our skyrocketing power needs but in building out the nation’s technological capacity and AI leadership. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get cooking — it’s time to unlock nuclear’s golden age.
About the Authors: Hilary Lane and Will Fork
Hilary Lane joined the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) in 2017 and has over 15 years of experience working in commercial and defense nuclear. She has represented nearly all segments of the commercial nuclear industry, ranging from research and test reactors, fuel cycle facilities, power reactors, and advanced reactor developers. She is currently the Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships, where she focuses on forging alliances with new-to-nuclear investors and customers. Prior to joining NEI, Ms. Lane worked at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) in Washington, DC. During that time, Ms. Lane served on assignment to the British Embassy in Washington, and to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California. Ms. Lane graduated with honors from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering. In 2024, the University of Maryland inducted her into the Distinguished Alumni Society and she was named “Top 40 Alumni Under 40.”
Will Fork represents electric utilities and companies on international energy transactions, export control, nuclear liability and domestic regulatory issues. He assists clients regarding the regulation of international nuclear power plants, nuclear vendor procurement, and agreements for the construction, operation and fueling of nuclear power units. He holds a B.S. in Systems Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, a J.D. from Cornell Law School, an LL.M in International and Comparative Law from Cornell Law School and a Diplôme d’université from the University of Montpellier in France.
Image: Shutterstock/Ezume Images
