Three previously closed US nuclear power plants are reportedly set to restart to help meet electricity demand from AI data centers. Together, they could provide 2.25 GW, enough to power two million homes and businesses, according to The Los Angeles Times, as cited by TechRadar.
The US Department of Energy is expected to support the projects with up to $4.4 billion in federal loans. Microsoft and Google have signed agreements to buy electricity from two of the facilities. Reported restart targets range from 2027 to 2029.
Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan, which closed in 2022, is required under its electricity purchase agreements to return to service by March 2027. Crane Clean Energy Center in Pennsylvania is also targeting 2027, while Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa is aiming for 2029.
If restarted, the plants would reportedly be the first commercial nuclear reactors to return to operation after formal decommissioning. The plans have drawn concerns about the safety of aging reactors amid heightened geopolitical activity and natural disasters. Nuclear engineering expert Todd Allen said nuclear power provides zero-carbon electricity and that the projects fit the Trump administration’s goals. A May 2025 executive order set out a target to increase US nuclear generating capacity from around 100 GW in 2024 to 400 GW by 2050.
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