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Three US Nuclear Reactors Restarting to Supply Power for AI Data Centers
Key points
- Three US nuclear reactors are restarting, adding 2.25 GW.
- Palisades Nuclear Plant is furthest along, expected March 2027.
- Crane Clean Energy Center will supply Microsoft under a 20-year contract.
- Projects received loans from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Nuclear Reactors Recommissioned for AI Demand
Three nuclear reactors in the United States are being brought back online after years of inactivity to meet the growing power demands of AI data centers. The Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan, the Crane Clean Energy Center on Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, and the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa are expected to collectively add 2.25 GW to the national grid.
Palisades Plant Leads Restart Efforts
The Palisades Nuclear Plant, previously undergoing decommissioning, is the first nuclear reactor to be reactivated after dismantling had begun. It is the most advanced of the three projects, with fuel loading anticipated in August 2026 and an expected 800 MW generation by March 2027. Holtec Palisades, the firm operating the reactor, secured a loan from the U.S. Department of Energy under the Biden administration's 2024 investment in nuclear energy.
Three Mile Island Unit 1 Revival
The Crane Clean Energy Center on Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island is repurposing its Unit 1 reactor. Constellation Energy is investing $1.6 billion in the project and received a $1 billion loan from the Department of Energy in 2025. Microsoft has committed to a 20-year contract as the primary customer for this facility, which is projected to bring 835 MW online in 2027. Unit 1 underwent a safety inspection by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which still needs to approve fuel loading.
Duane Arnold Energy Center
The Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa is also part of this initiative to restart nuclear power generation. Further details regarding its timeline and specific power output were not provided in the report.
Government Support for Nuclear Energy
All three projects have received financial backing from the U.S. Department of Energy. The loans were issued under both the Biden administration's 2024 investment in nuclear energy and the Trump administration's 2025 push, indicating bipartisan support for nuclear power expansion to address energy needs, particularly those driven by advanced technologies like AI.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
Three nuclear reactors in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Iowa are being restarted to provide an additional 2.25 GW of power to the grid. This initiative is driven by the increasing electricity demand from AI data centers and is supported by loans from the U.S. Department of Energy.