The United States is restarting three nuclear power plants that had been offline for years, an unprecedented move driven by the electricity appetite of AI data centers. Together, the plants are expected to bring about 2.25 GW back to the grid, enough to power roughly 2 million homes and businesses, according to the Department of Energy, which is backing the projects with loans of up to $4.4 billion.
Palisades, the first reactor brought back after dismantling had begun
The most advanced project is the Palisades plant in Michigan. It was under active decommissioning, which makes its restart the first time a reactor has been put back to work after dismantling had already started. Fuel loading was underway in August 2026, and about 800 MW is expected around March 2027. Operator Holtec also borrowed from the Department of Energy, under a 2024 loan issued during the Biden administration.
Three Mile Island and a twenty-year contract with Microsoft
The second plant is the Crane Clean Energy Center on Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island, where Unit 1 is being restarted. Constellation Energy has committed $1.6 billion to the project, begun in 2024, and in 2025 took a $1 billion loan from the Department of Energy. Microsoft will be the main customer under a 20-year contract. The facility is projected to bring 835 MW online in 2027. The site is known for the 1979 accident at Unit 2; Unit 1 showed no significant problems before its 2019 shutdown and has passed a safety inspection, though the Nuclear Regulatory Commission still has to approve it before fuel loading.
Duane Arnold in Iowa and the Google deal
The third plant is the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa, a project by NextEra Energy in collaboration with Google. Predicted output is 615 MW, with power expected from 2029. NextEra CEO John Ketchum said the arrangement means none of the costs fall on residential customers in Iowa.
Why nuclear now makes economic sense
All three plants had been shut down at different times because labor and maintenance costs made nuclear power more expensive than alternatives. The economics have shifted: with demand this strong and data centers needing power now, operators are willing to pay a premium to get it today rather than in a few decades.
Forecasts remain uncertain. Michigan may need between 1.2 and 2.3 GW around 2030, Pennsylvania between 0.8 and 3.4 GW, and Iowa between 1.55 and 2.8 GW. These figures include data center projects that may never be built or may slip behind schedule.
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