New York Plans First Major US Nuclear Power Plant in Over 15 Years, Driven by AI Energy Demands

New York's getting a new nuclear power plant

Justine Calma is a senior science reporter covering energy and the environment with more than a decade of experience. She is also the host of Hell or High Water: When Disaster Hits Home, a podcast from Vox Media and Audible Originals. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced plans today to develop a new nuclear power plant, the first to be built in the state in decades. It's the latest signal that nuclear energy could see a comeback in the US thanks to wide-ranging support from some strange bedfellows: the Trump administration purporting to seek "energy dominance"; tech companies in need of more electricity for AI data centers; and climate hawks on board with nuclear energy as a carbon pollution-free alternative to fossil fuels. "The use of advanced nuclear technology can provide the State with a greater diversity of its energy resources that will support New York's goal of a growing economy with a reliable, zero-emission electricity system," New York State Energy Research and Development Authority president and CEO Doreen Harris said in a press release. Hochul is directing the New York Power Authority to construct at least one new site for nuclear energy upstate with the capacity to generate at least 1 gigawatt of electricity (about half the capacity of Hoover Dam power plant). The state is interested in advanced reactors that are still under development, in the hopes of overcoming some of the obstacles the nuclear energy industry has faced over the years. After a boom in nuclear reactors built in the 1970s and '80s, the technology struggled to compete as gas-fired power plants and solar and wind farms became cheaper sources of electricity. Fears about nuclear accidents like the partial meltdown at Three Mile Island and conflicts over where to store radioactive waste have also bogged down the industry. Next-generation designs for small modular reactors are supposed to cut down costs and make it easier to develop new sites for nuclear energy. President Donald Trump signed several executive orders last month to overhaul the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, speed up licensing for new reactors, and truncate environmental reviews. Trump's pick to lead the Department of Energy, Chris Wright, previously sat on the board of a nuclear energy startup with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The Vogtle power plant in Georgia has become an example of the kinds of problems that have plagued nuclear power projects; it's the site of the first all-new reactors built in the US in more than three decades. After construction started in 2009, Vogtle units 3 and 4 finally came online in 2023 and 2024, roughly $17 billion over budget. Now, the average age of a nuclear reactor in the US is 42 years old, with many retiring recently or scheduled to soon shutter. That trend is starting to reverse, with help from Big Tech and government incentives. Google and Amazon have both inked agreements to support the development of next-generation nuclear reactors. Meta signed a deal this month to help keep a reactor built in the 1980s alive for another 20 years. And Microsoft announced a power purchase agreement last year that's supposed to lead to the restart of one reactor at Three Mile Island.

NY State to site 1 GW nuke as AI bit barns guzzle power

It would be the first major US nuclear plant built in over 15 years New York State is set to build America's first major new nuclear plant in more than 15 years, amid growing energy demands, particularly from power-hungry AI datacenters. The New York Power Authority has been instructed to find a site in upstate New York and decide on a design for the reactor project, according to an interview in the Wall Street Journal with Governor Kathy Hochul. It says that the project aims to add at least 1 gigawatt of generating capacity to that of New York's existing nuclear plants, and that this should be roughly enough to power about a million American homes. No date was specified for when this nuclear plant is expected to come online, nor was any figure mentioned for how much the project is likely to cost. We asked the Governor's office, and will update if we get answers. Meanwhile, the Empire State currently hosts about 219 datacenters, according to Datacenters.com. This number is likely to increase as companies rush to add additional facilities to serve the rising requirements driven by all the AI hype. Compounding this growing demand, New York's capacity was dealt a significant blow when the Indian Point Energy Center, located roughly 36 miles north of New York City, shut down its last two nuclear reactors in 2021, cutting off about 25 percent of the city's electricity supply. A report last year by management consultancy Bain & Company warned that US energy providers needed to adapt quickly to the rising demand, as power consumption was forecast to outstrip supply within the next few years. That urgency is sharpened by timing constraints: although several new nuclear projects have been announced to meet the projected needs of AI and emerging technologies like electric vehicles, most of these are unlikely to start producing power until the next decade, while more energy is needed now. President Trump signed an executive order back in May aiming to quadruple US nuclear generating capacity from 100GW to 400GW by 2050, coming a few weeks after a group of large-scale energy users, including Amazon, Meta, and Google, called for efforts to triple global nuclear capacity by the same date. Amazon recently finalized a deal to buy nuclear energy for its facilities in Pennsylvania as it plans to build a host of new "high-tech cloud computing and artificial intelligence innovation campuses" in the state, according to an announcement earlier this month. Against this backdrop, carbon-free energy biz Constellation welcomed the news of New York's ambition to add more nuclear energy to the state's power grid. "It is yet another recognition of nuclear energy's critical role in achieving the nation's leading clean energy goals. We look forward to working with the Governor and state leaders to ensure nuclear energy continues to power economic growth and a clean, affordable and reliable energy future for New York," said Constellation Chief Legal and Policy Officer David Dardis. ®

New York will build first major new US nuclear power plant in over 15 years

Governor says plant upstate is 'a critical energy initiative' while renewable energy groups slammed the decision Kathy Hochul has announced plans to build a nuclear-power plant in New York, the first major new US plant in over 15 years, and one designed to add to add at least 1GW of nuclear power generation. The governor said in a statement that she had directed the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to develop and construct a zero-emission advanced nuclear power plant in upstate New York to support a reliable and affordable electric grid. "As New York state electrifies its economy, deactivates aging fossil fuel power generation and continues to attract large manufacturers that create good-paying jobs, we must embrace an energy policy of abundance that centers on energy independence and supply chain security to ensure New York controls its energy future," Hochul said. The governor described the plan as "a critical energy initiative" that would complement the construction of renewable energy and the state agency would "safely and rapidly deploy clean, reliable nuclear power for the benefit of all New Yorkers". Hochul said that the nuclear plant would add zero-emission baseload power and help to advance New York's goal to achieve a clean energy economy. Renewable energy groups slammed the decision. "NYPA has the power and mandate to build 15GW of renewables and should not let Trump promises lead New Yorkers away from it. After appointing a Republican to lead NYPA while remaining silent on its mandate to build wind and solar, Hochul's decision to step in based on promises from Donald Trump shows just how unserious she is about New Yorker's energy bills and climate future," said a statement from the Public Power NY Coalition. It added: "NYPA should be laser focused on rapidly scaling up their buildout of affordable solar and wind which is the only way to meet the state's science-based climate goals and lower energy bills." The development will be a test of Donald Trump's executive orders to accelerate nuclear-power development in the US. But a site and reactor design has not been decided. One gigawatt of production is enough energy to power around a million homes. Nuclear plants currently produce about 19% of the country's electricity, down 4% from its 2012 peak. It is expected to decline further, though big technology companies have recently licensed power from ageing reactors to meet the demands of AI computing centers. Only five new commercial reactors have come online in the US since 1991 and electric utilities companies have forecast the US will need the equivalent of 34 new, full-size nuclear power plants over the next five years to meet power requirements. Last year, Microsoft signed a 20-year purchase agreement with the private generator Constellation that will see one of the reactors at Three Mile Island in Pennslyvannia restarted. Amazon signed a deal to purchase nuclear-generated power from the Susquehanna nuclear power plant, also in Pennsylvania, to supply data centers. Separately, Google announced a deal to purchase nuclear energy from small modular reactors (SMRs) and Amazonsaid it had signed agreements to invest in four SMRs in Washington state to power data centers in Oregon. Oracle is designing an AI data center to be powered by three SMRs. Given its geography, water supply and proximity of IBM and university tech research centers, Hochul is supporting plans to develop upstate New York into a tech center akin to Silicon Valley. But the state retired the Indian Point nuclear plant 40 miles from Manhattan in 2021 in part due to environmental concerns and because the hijacker-pilots of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade center used the twin reactor's domes along the Hudson river as sign posts. As one consequence of the closure, New York had to burn more fossil fuels, raising greenhouse-gas emissions even as local and state legislatures demanded a reaction. "There was no Plan B," Hochul told the Wall Street Journal on Monday. Trump's order to speed up regulatory approval of new nuclear power production could jump-start an industry that's been in decline for three decades because of safety concerns, cost overruns and an unfavorable political environment. But environmental groups have warned that the push for nuclear could also reduce regulatory controls related to health and safety. Earlier this month, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled a plan that would repeal a landmark climate rule that aims to mostly eliminate greenhouse gases from power plants by the 2030s. Hochul told the outlet that she suggested to Trump that Elon Musk's "department of government efficiency" should turn its attention to streamlining regulatory approval at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. "Why does it take a decade?" she said. "That's why no one is doing it; the barriers are too high."

New York's making a new nuclear-power facility, the country's first major one in over 15 years

New York state is getting more nuclear reactors as officials look for additional power sources. Gov. Kathy Hochul tells The New York Times that she has ordered the state's electric utility to add no less than 1 gigawatt of new nuclear power generation to its collection of older reactors. That could be a lure for corporate development - particularly for those artificial intelligence companies and businesses that host data centers. "I'm going to lean into making sure that every company that wants to come to New York and everyone who wants to live here will never have to worry about reliability and affordability when it comes to their utility costs," she said. The new reactor will be built in upstate New York, but an exact location has yet to be determined. This will be the first new major nuclear plant built in the U.S. in more than 15 years. The Trump administration has been pushing hard for more nuclear reactors since January, promising to fast track permitting for the projects. Permitting, previously, has been a major hurdle for nuclear facilities, with the process often taking up to a decade. Since 1991, only five commercial reactors have come online in the U.S. Several more have been retired, resulting in a decline in capacity since 2012. Many private businesses are partnering to bring nuclear facilities back online. Google, last October, partnered with Kairos Power to back the construction of seven small nuclear reactors in the U.S. That came just weeks after Microsoft announced a partnership with Constellation Energy that will see the undamaged reactor at Three Mile Island, the site of the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history, resume operations to power Microsoft's AI data centers. Experts have warned data centers could become a big strain on the U.S. power grid, with the nine-year projected growth forecast for North America essentially doubling from where it stood a year ago. Last year, the five-year forecast from Grid Strategies projected growth of 2.6%. That number has since nearly doubled to 4.7% -- and planners expect peak demand to grow by 38 gigawatts. In real-world terms, that's sufficient to power 12.7 million homes.

New York state to build nuclear power plant

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced plans Monday to build a nuclear power facility, enlisting a state agency for the first major new US nuclear construction since 2009. Hochul tapped the New York Power Authority to develop a nuclear plant with combined capacity of at least one gigiwatt of electricity, according to a New York state press release. The project is targeted for upstate New York where Hochul, in a speech unveiling the plan, described several communities as being receptive because they "know these are good paying, long-term jobs." The move comes amid a revival in nuclear energy investments prompted in large part by large technology companies targeting the energy form as a source to fuel massive artificial intelligence data centers. Hochul referenced recent nuclear investments by tech giants Google, Amazon and Microsoft during her announcement. But she also tied the push to affordability concerns after a 2021 decision to permanently close a nuclear plant in Westchester County crimped supply. Hochul acknowledged that some residents had questions about safety but expressed confidence in "21st century nuclear design," she said. "My friends, it's coming and it's back and if we don't jump on, or lead this, they're going to pass us by," Hochul said. "These companies will go elsewhere." Energy companies have struggled to add nuclear capacity in the United States since a 1979 meltdown at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania. But in a sign of the shifting economic calculus around nuclear energy, the utility company Constellation, working with Microsoft, last year announced plans to reopen the facility due to the AI push. President Donald Trump last month signed an executive order last month to "reinvigorate" US nuclear energy, including by speeding up the building of new reactors and boosting domestic mining and enrichment of uranium. But Hochul said Trump will still need to take action to streamline federal permit issuance because getting US approval for nuclear plants can take 10 years or more. "I said it to the president. If you want energy dominance, I want energy dominance," Hochul said. "This is how we do it."

New York state to build nuclear power plant

New York (AFP) - New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced plans Monday to build a nuclear power facility, enlisting a state agency for the first major new US nuclear construction since 2009. Hochul tapped the New York Power Authority to develop a nuclear plant with combined capacity of at least one gigiwatt of electricity, according to a New York state press release. The project is targeted for upstate New York where Hochul, in a speech unveiling the plan, described several communities as being receptive because they "know these are good paying, long-term jobs." The move comes amid a revival in nuclear energy investments prompted in large part by large technology companies targeting the energy form as a source to fuel massive artificial intelligence data centers. Hochul referenced recent nuclear investments by tech giants Google, Amazon and Microsoft during her announcement. But she also tied the push to affordability concerns after a 2021 decision to permanently close a nuclear plant in Westchester County crimped supply. Hochul acknowledged that some residents had questions about safety but expressed confidence in "21st century nuclear design," she said. "My friends, it's coming and it's back and if we don't jump on, or lead this, they're going to pass us by," Hochul said. "These companies will go elsewhere." Energy companies have struggled to add nuclear capacity in the United States since a 1979 meltdown at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania. But in a sign of the shifting economic calculus around nuclear energy, the utility company Constellation, working with Microsoft, last year announced plans to reopen the facility due to the AI push. President Donald Trump last month signed an executive order last month to "reinvigorate" US nuclear energy, including by speeding up the building of new reactors and boosting domestic mining and enrichment of uranium. But Hochul said Trump will still need to take action to streamline federal permit issuance because getting US approval for nuclear plants can take 10 years or more. "I said it to the president. If you want energy dominance, I want energy dominance," Hochul said. "This is how we do it."

New York announces it will build a new nuclear power plant

New York state will build a new nuclear power plant that will provide at least one gigawatt of electricity -- enough to power about a million homes. When announcing the project on Monday, Governor Kathy Hochul said it would bring new jobs, more affordable electricity bills, and help provide around the clock power to support data centers without fossil fuels. The plant would be the first nuclear facility built in New York state since the late 1970s and the first major U.S. plant to break ground in about 15 years. (The last nuclear plants built in the U.S., Vogtle Units 3 and 4 in Georgia, began operation in 2023 and 2024 respectively, but construction on them began in 2009.) The project comes as electricity demand is expected to soar, especially due to the increase of data centers to support AI use. Nuclear power has been seen as a clean source of 24/7 power, which wind and solar cannot provide without adequate battery storage, and also as a power source that is insulated from the volatility of oil and gas prices. But some are still concerned about nuclear's safety. Hochul acknowledged these fears at her announcement for the new nuclear power plant, pointing to the concerns and anxiety that led to the shut down of Indian Point, a nuclear power plant in Westchester County, New York. That facility was retired in 2021, but doing so "turned off one quarter of New York City's power, [that] was almost all clean energy, overnight without an alternative," Hochul said. To replace that energy, New York state burned more fossil fuels, leading to a rise in emissions.