The Trump administration’s pushing forward with a major plan to expand U.S. nuclear power. The goal is to quadruple the country’s nuclear capacity from about 100 gigawatts to 400 gigawatts by 2050. That’s one of the biggest nuclear pushes the U.S. has seen since the 1970s.
The Department of Energy and Westinghouse Electric Company are leading the effort together. They’re meeting with utilities and nuclear developers to find partners. The DOE’s in talks with four to five potential partners right now. Each partner would agree to buy parts for two new reactors. The plan’s to purchase parts for 8 to 10 gigawatts of new nuclear reactor capacity overall. The reactors would be AP1000 units made by Westinghouse. Each one can generate up to 1.1 gigawatts of electricity.
The DOE and Westinghouse are actively recruiting partners to purchase parts for up to 10 gigawatts of new AP1000 reactor capacity.
In October 2025, the U.S. government announced an $80 billion partnership with Brookfield Asset Management and Cameco, which co-own Westinghouse. The government could receive 20 percent of profits above $17.5 billion or an equity stake of up to 20 percent if Westinghouse’s value tops $30 billion by 2029. Buying reactor parts in bulk is a key part of the strategy. It’s meant to lower costs and speed up construction timelines.
There’s also a major international deal in the works. A U.S.-Japan agreement could reportedly commit up to $550 billion before 2029. About $100 billion each would reportedly go to Westinghouse and GE Vernova Hitachi for reactor construction. Bechtel and GE Vernova would each get an estimated $25 billion for equipment and services. Another $25 billion’s reportedly set aside for Carrier’s cooling systems. Japanese firms like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toshiba Group, and IHI Corp are reportedly among the key investment partners supporting AP1000 construction and small modular reactors.
The administration’s also working to change how reactors get approved. A White House plan from May 2025 sets an 18-month deadline for construction and operation licenses. Public hearings would be streamlined. Design reviews would be simplified. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s focus would shift to real risks instead of overly cautious radiation models.
The administration wants 10 new reactors under construction by 2030. It’s called the most significant nuclear construction program in decades. France’s rapid nuclear buildout following the 1970s oil crisis has been cited by energy analysts as a model for cost-effective expansion at scale.
References
- https://heatmap.news/energy/trump-nuclear-energy-department
- https://evrimagaci.org/gpt/united-states-unveils-ambitious-nuclear-power-expansion-520397
- https://energytransition.org/2026/02/is-trump-making-nuclear-great-again/
- https://stratnewsglobal.com/united-states/wholl-fund-trumps-grand-nuclear-revival/
- https://www.ans.org/news/article-7661/2025-the-year-in-nuclear/
- https://www.energy.gov/articles/fact-sheet-energy-department-delivering-accelerating-deployment-nuclear-power
- https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/8-big-wins-nuclear-trump-administrations-first-year
