Three dormant US nuclear reactors are being restarted to power AI data centers

Date:
Wed, 21 Oct 2026 16:30:00 +0000

Description:
Two US nuclear plants are set to come back online as soon as 2027, with a third set to arrive by 2029.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Three nuclear plants would add 2.25GW of electricity to the grid Microsoft and Google plan to use power from those sites Trump wants 400GW of nuclear capacity by 2050 In its ongoing effort to become an AI global superpower, the US is reportedly gearing up to restart three previously closed nuclear power plants simply to keep up with the energy demands caused by AI data centers.

Together, the three nuclear facilities would likely provide 2.25GW of electricity, or enough to power two million homes and businesses (per The Los Angeles Times ). And the US Department of Energy looks to be a major
supporter of the projects, providing up to $4.4 billion in federal loans. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: Dormant nuclear plants
are being woken to power AI Microsoft and Google have already signed agreements to purchase electricity from two of those facilities, with power plant restarts now slated for between 2027 and 2029, per the report.

Importantly, these likely mark the first commercial nuclear reactors to be restarted after being formally decommissioned, with rising demand for
reliable and low-carbon electricity surging. You may like Google signs billion-dollar deal to expand nuclear power capacity at multiple US plants
US, Russia to collaborate on nuclear-powered data centers as part of a 'joint project' on small-scale power plants US approves first data center-specific small nuclear reactor the BWRX-300 may be covering not just the UK, but America too

The first of three, Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan, closed in 2022 nine years before its license was due to expire due to its owner withdrawing from the nuclear power business. Electricity purchase agreements for the plan require it to return to service by March 2027, which is just half a year
away.

Crane Clean Energy Center in Pennsylvania is also likely targeting a 2027 online date, with Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa looking for a 2029 go-live date. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners
or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms &
Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

"For anyone who wants zero carbon, nuclear provides that," nuclear
engineering expert Todd Allen explained. "For the Trump administration, which really wants nuclear, this fits that story also."

This, of course, falls under Trump's nuclear plans a May 2025 executive
order revealed plans to quadruple US nuclear generating capacity from around 100GW in 2024 to 400GW by 2050.

Still, these latest plans aren't short of criticism, with concerns over the safety of aging reactors being floated, especially in a world of heightened geopolitical activity and natural disasters. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/three-dormant-us-nuclear-reactors-are-being-rest arted-to-power-ai-data-centers


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)