The United States is charging ahead with its boldest nuclear power expansion in decades, setting the stage for a new era of energy policy, industrial ambition, and international collaboration. In October 2025, the Trump administration unveiled a sweeping partnership to construct at least $80 billion worth of large-scale nuclear reactors, marking the most significant new nuclear construction program since the 1970s, according to reporting by The Washington Post. This initiative, which centers on the deployment of Westinghouse Electric Company’s AP1000 pressurized water reactors, is poised to reshape the country’s energy landscape and address the surging electricity demands of advanced artificial intelligence technologies.
At the heart of the plan is the AP1000 reactor, a design capable of generating approximately 1,110 megawatts of electric power. These reactors are not new to the U.S.; they were the technology behind Vogtle nuclear plant’s units 3 and 4 in Georgia, which finally wrapped up construction in 2023 and 2024—albeit seven years behind schedule and at more than double the anticipated cost, totaling about $35 billion for the pair. The lessons learned from Vogtle’s troubled timeline and ballooning budget are shaping the approach to this new wave of reactor construction, with a focus on cost reduction and efficiency through repetition and regulatory reform.
Westinghouse, along with its co-owners Brookfield Asset Management and Cameco, was selected to spearhead the new construction effort. The $80 billion deal, the largest of its kind in U.S. nuclear history, is expected to fund the building of approximately five AP1000 reactors, assuming an average cost of $16 billion per unit—a figure that factors in anticipated savings from economies of scale and improved project management. If all current reactors remain online, this would boost U.S. nuclear capacity by roughly 5.7 percent.
But the ambitions don’t stop there. President Trump, in early 2025, set an audacious goal: to add 300 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2050, tripling today’s total of just under 100 GW. This target, as highlighted by The Washington Post, far exceeds industry forecasts and is driven in large part by the administration’s belief that the race to develop advanced AI—described by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright as “the Manhattan Project of our times”—demands a massive expansion of reliable, carbon-free electricity generation.
The federal government’s intervention is unprecedented in scale and scope. In the past, Washington limited its role to research and development, uranium mining, and indemnifying operators against nuclear accidents. Now, the government is taking on a commercial role, entering into profit-sharing arrangements with Westinghouse. After final contracts are signed, the U.S. will be entitled to 20 percent of Westinghouse’s returns over $17.5 billion, and if the company’s valuation exceeds $30 billion, the government can require a public offering and secure a 20 percent stake. This approach, according to The Washington Post, is a first for the U.S. nuclear sector and signals a willingness to use federal might to drive strategic industry growth.
International collaboration is also a key pillar of the initiative. As part of a $550 billion U.S.-Japan trade deal struck in July 2025, Japan pledged large-scale investment in American energy infrastructure, including up to $100 billion from major Japanese firms such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toshiba Group, and IHI Corp. These investments are intended to support both AP1000 construction and the development of small modular reactors (SMRs), further diversifying the U.S. nuclear portfolio.
The drive for nuclear expansion is not limited to new builds. Santee Cooper, a South Carolina utility, recently announced plans to revive two AP1000 reactors at the long-stalled V.C. Summer site, which had been abandoned in 2017 after delays and cost overruns. Meanwhile, Google inked a deal with NextEra Energy to reopen the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa, a 615-megawatt plant shuttered in 2020, with the aim of bringing it back online by early 2029 and securing a 25-year purchase agreement for its output.
Yet, the road ahead is far from smooth. The Vogtle project’s overruns serve as a cautionary tale, and the private sector remains wary of the financial risks. As The Washington Post notes, “Chief executives of investor-owned utilities know that if they were to propose committing to similar projects on the same commercial terms, they’d be sacked on the spot.” This reality underscores the necessity of robust government backing and innovative risk-sharing mechanisms.
Efforts to streamline regulatory processes are underway. The Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act, signed by President Joe Biden in 2024, aims to reduce bureaucratic delays at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). President Trump has since built on this foundation, issuing four executive orders in May 2025 to accelerate reactor licensing and nuclear development. The NRC responded in November 2025 with new regulations designed to eliminate redundant rules and speed up approvals.
However, one of the most pressing challenges is workforce development. The U.S. Department of Energy’s 2025 Energy and Employment Report found that 22 percent of nuclear construction employers described hiring as “very difficult,” and 63 percent as “somewhat difficult.” In nuclear manufacturing, 63 percent reported hiring was “very difficult.” With many skilled workers from the Vogtle project having moved to other sectors, there’s a real risk of labor shortages as new construction ramps up.
Innovation in nuclear fuel is also accelerating. On December 17, 2025, U.S. start-up Standard Nuclear announced it would operate its Tennessee and Idaho facilities under Department of Energy (DOE) oversight—rather than the NRC—to expand production of TRISO (TRIstructural-ISOtropic) fuel. This transition, enabled by an Other Transaction Agreement with the DOE, is designed to support TRISO-fueled reactor demonstrations planned for 2026 and reduce reliance on foreign enriched uranium. Standard Nuclear, which emerged from stealth after acquiring assets from the bankrupt Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation, has already secured $100 million in non-binding fuel sales for 2027 and is working with partners like Nano Nuclear Energy and Radiant Industries.
The global picture is equally dynamic. According to a recent Bloomberg New Energy Finance report, fifteen nuclear reactors are expected to be commissioned worldwide in 2026, adding about 12 gigawatts of new fission-based electricity capacity. Much of this expansion is being driven by the need to power AI data centers, reflecting the growing intersection of advanced technology and energy policy.
With the federal government now acting as both financier and facilitator, and with international investment pouring in, the U.S. nuclear sector is poised for a renaissance. Success, however, will depend on overcoming workforce bottlenecks, keeping costs in check, and ensuring that regulatory reforms deliver as promised. If these hurdles can be cleared, the new generation of reactors could light the way for American industry and innovation for decades to come.
