The U.S. Department of Energy announced that Project UPRISE (Utility Power Reactor Incremental Scaling Effort) is supporting the expansion of American nuclear power through reactor upgrades, the restart of closed nuclear plants, and new reactor construction. The initiative aims to add 5 gigawatts (GW) of capacity at existing nuclear reactors by 2029, with approximately 4.7 GW identified so far, representing 95% of the target.
The department is supporting nuclear projects through loan commitments and financing to increase electricity generation, modernize existing facilities, and strengthen domestic energy security. Constellation Energy received a conditional loan commitment of up to $5 billion for projects expected to add nearly 1.1 GW of capacity, while Vistra received a conditional commitment of up to $4.2 billion for upgrades expected to add 433 megawatts and preserve nearly 4 GW of existing capacity. Additional financing is supporting reactor upgrades at the Vogtle, Hatch, and Farley nuclear facilities.
The initiative also supports the planned restart of three previously closed nuclear plants: Palisades in Michigan, Crane in Pennsylvania, and Duane Arnold in Iowa. These projects are expected to restore significant electricity-generating capacity and create or retain thousands of construction and permanent jobs. The Energy Department is also advancing a $17.5 billion American Nuclear Supply Chain Loans initiative to help finance equipment for five eligible projects, with the goal of accelerating the deployment of 10 new reactors by up to three years.
Under President Donald Trump’s executive order on revitalizing the nuclear industrial base, the administration aims to expand reliable nuclear electricity generation, strengthen the domestic nuclear fuel supply chain, and support the construction of 10 new large reactors with complete designs by 2030.
