A flurry of recent major announcements show that utilities and companies including Google and Amazon are seeking to leverage nuclear uprates as part of a broader strategy to meet growing power supply needs.
Utilities have been using power uprates since the 1970s as a way to increase the power output of their nuclear plants, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission notes. Over the past 20 years, it has approved uprates that have given the nation’s electricity grid an additional six gigawatts, the equivalent of six large reactors.
“We’re aware the U.S. nuclear fleet is interested in requesting more uprates over the coming years that could mean another two gigawatts for the grid. We’re already looking at our past reviews to see how we can process these requests as efficiently as possible while maintaining safety,” it notes on its website.
On its website, NRC also provides details on Expected Applications for Power Uprates (by unit) and future Submittals of Applications (by unit).
DOE Initiative Aims to Increase Nuclear Power Output Through Uprates and Restarts
In March, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy detailed a new effort that will use existing nuclear energy infrastructure to put more power on the grid.
The Utility Power Reactor Incremental Scaling Effort (UPRISE) “strives to significantly expand the United States' nuclear energy capacity by increasing the power output of existing reactors, bringing dormant facilities back online, and completing stalled projects.”
UPRISE aims to make a significant contribution to the effort by targeting the most cost-effective and immediate methods to significantly increase nuclear energy capacity.
The initiative focuses on extending reactor lifespans through license renewals, boosting output via power uprates, restarting dormant facilities and optimizing operating plant efficiency with modern technologies including advanced fuel technologies.
The UPRISE initiative aims to achieve 2.5 GW of additional nuclear capacity by 2027 and 5 GW of total additional nuclear capacity by 2029.
Georgia Power and Google Agreement
In September of this year, Georgia Power and Google announced a new agreement under which Google will support uprates on Georgia Power’s owned portion of the nuclear units at Plants Vogtle and Hatch in Georgia that will allow the facilities to add approximately 96 megawatts of new capacity to the electric grid to serve Georgia Power customers. The agreement is subject to approval by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC).
Google’s subscription is expected to enable approximately $900 million in projected benefits to customers over the life of the units, Georgia Power said. The agreement is included in filings (Docket 44280, Docket 56002) made at the Georgia PSC. The filings also include a new Nuclear Uprate (NU-1) tariff structure as well as a request to approve a new extended power uprate (EPU) for Plant Hatch 1 & 2.
An EPU for Plant Vogtle 1 & 2 was previously approved by the Georgia PSC in the 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP).
DOE Unveils Conditional Loan Commitment of Up to $4.2 Billion to Finance Uprates, Modernization
DOE's Office of Energy Dominance Financing (EDF) on Oct. 5 announced a conditional loan commitment of up to $4.2 billion to finance nuclear uprates and modernization across Vistra’s nuclear fleet in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
DOE said the projects will preserve nearly 4 gigawatts of reliable baseload power and add 433 megawatts (MW) of new nuclear capacity, helping meet growing electricity demand in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and across the PJM Interconnection region.
Vistra’s planned investments at Beaver Valley in Pennsylvania and Davis-Besse and Perry in Ohio will produce more electricity from existing nuclear plants without requiring new transmission corridors or equivalent new generation resources, while supporting the plants’ operation for an additional 20 years beyond their existing licenses, DOE noted.
EDF’s conditional loan commitment also includes an option to finance potential future uprates at Vistra’s Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant in Texas.
While this conditional commitment indicates DOE's intent to provide a loan, Vistra must satisfy certain technical, legal, environmental, and financial conditions before the Department enters into definitive financing documents and funds the loan, DOE said.
DOE Unveils Conditional Loan Commitment to Finance Uprates, Modernization at Constellation Energy Nuclear Plants
In late October, the DOE’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing announced a conditional loan commitment of up to $5 billion to finance nuclear uprates and modernization across Constellation Energy’s nuclear fleet in Illinois, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
The modernization efforts will add nearly 1.1 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, "strengthening the grid and lowering costs for millions of Americans across the PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (PJM) and Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) regions," DOE said.
Constellation’s planned investments at Braidwood, Byron, Clinton, Dresden, LaSalle, and Quad Cities in Illinois; Calvert Cliffs in Maryland; and Limerick in Pennsylvania "will produce more electricity from existing nuclear plants, maximizing America’s existing energy infrastructure while supporting growing demand for affordable, reliable, and secure power," DOE said.
EDF’s conditional loan commitment also includes an option to finance future uprate projects at additional Constellation facilities.
While this conditional commitment indicates DOE’s intent to provide a loan, Constellation must satisfy certain technical, legal, environmental, and financial conditions before the Department enters into definitive financing documents and funds the loan.
Google and Constellation Announce Agreement
Google and Constellation Energy on Oct. 6 announced a long-term strategic clean energy collaboration to bring 890 megawatts of new nuclear capacity onto the PJM Interconnection grid to meet growing demand and increase grid reliability.
The 20-year power purchase agreement will enable investments in new equipment and technology at 11 Constellation-owned nuclear units in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, increasing thermal and electrical efficiency to unlock additional reliable, firm power to serve the grid.
This capacity is entirely new, expanding total electricity generation available across the PJM footprint.
In addition to expanding nuclear generation, the companies entered into a 15-year energy supply agreement for an additional 2,700 MW in PJM's fleet. This financial structure ensures that Constellation's operating generation assets continue to deliver energy and capacity to the PJM market, the news release said.
The 890 MW of incremental capacity delivered through this collaboration equals the output of several Small Modular Reactors or a large new conventional reactor.
The initiative directly advances the goals of the federal government's UPRISE program, the news release noted.
Key elements of the comprehensive commercial agreement include:
• Direct supply expansion: Adding 890 MW of carbon-free capacity to the grid through targeted investments at multiple nuclear plants, with the first uprate expected to be delivered by 2028.
• Revenue certainty: Ensuring continued operations through a 2,700 MW, 15-year agreement that ensures existing assets remain economically viable without taking resources off of the grid.
• Demand flexibility integration: Incorporating operational load-shaping and demand-response capabilities to curtail non-critical power consumption during high-stress grid events.
• Economic and community investment: Sustaining high-skilled union maintenance, engineering, and operations employment across host communities in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. Across six nuclear sites in Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the agreement helps sustain roughly 4,400 existing jobs, creates approximately 7,200 new construction jobs during the building period and represents more than $4.3 billion of new investment by Constellation.
Energy Northwest, BPA Unveil Plan to Boost Nuclear Plant’s Output
Public power entities are also pursuing nuclear uprates.
In 2025, the Bonneville Power Administration approved implementation of an Extended Power Uprate project that increases the output of Energy Northwest’s Columbia Generating Station, which is the Pacific Northwest’s third largest generating resource and only operating nuclear energy plant.
The EPU is an approximately $700 million project that will increase the station's electrical output by 162 megawatts by 2031.
Following 18 months of in-depth analysis, BPA's approval allowed the project to move into its next phase.
Energy Northwest and BPA will collaborate on planning and implementation. Once completed, the additional 162 megawatts of firm capacity could power approximately 125,000 homes, strengthening the Pacific Northwest's energy portfolio.
Columbia Generating Station, a 1,207-megawatt nuclear energy facility near Richland, Washington, is owned and operated by Energy Northwest.
The EPU will increase electrical output by upgrading and replacing equipment — including turbines, heat exchangers, and the generator — while maintaining high safety standards and improving reliability. Nuclear energy facilities have successfully implemented uprates since the 1970s to boost clean energy generation from existing plants.
The project will involve approximately 30 individual upgrades, primarily focused on increasing the size of pumps and motors. These enhancements coincide with biennial refueling outages, creating new job opportunities for skilled workers.
Additionally, 24 megawatts of energy-efficiency upgrades will be incorporated during the next three refueling outages in 2027, 2029 and 2031, bringing the total increase to 186 megawatts. This expanded capacity will be added to BPA's federal system power, serving consumer-owned utilities across six Northwest states.
