Trump Admin Bets $17.5B on 10 New Nuclear Reactors for Data Centers

The Trump administration announced up to $17.5 billion in federal loans to speed the development of 10 large AP1000 nuclear reactors to meet rising electricity demand from data centers. Five sites will host two reactors each, with construction targeted to begin by 2030 and power generation in the mid-2030s. Utilities will contribute equity, and the loans are designed to accelerate supply chain development and reduce costs, drawing on lessons from the Vogtle project. The plan aims to scale up fleet production to support future technology and manufacturing needs, though critics point to nuclear costs and risk relative to alternative low-carbon options.