Nuclear Energy Institute Survey Details Future Capacity Plans Driven by AI Demand

The Nuclear Energy Institute released its 2026 Future of Nuclear Power survey, which gathered information from 21 utility companies covering 95 commercial reactors. The surveyed owners are planning new nuclear capacity to meet the electricity demands of artificial intelligence and increased domestic manufacturing. The companies surveyed indicated that over 97% of their units are considering or pursuing approval to operate for a minimum of 80 years, with some planning up to 100 years.

The industry leaders surveyed plan for 33.6 GW of new nuclear generation over the next 15 years, split between large reactors and small modular reactors. This expansion includes uprates, longer refueling cycles, and restarts of previously shut down plants like Palisades, Three Mile Island, and Duane Arnold, which could add 2.2 GW of operational capacity back into the grid.