WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that the Department of Energy will provide up to $17.5 billion in conditional loans to support the construction of 10 new large nuclear reactors across the United States, officials said.
The financing, issued through the department’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing, backs up to five projects, with each expected to support two Westinghouse AP1000 reactors. The loans target the purchase of long-lead-time components such as reactor vessels to rebuild the domestic nuclear supply chain and accelerate deployment.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the initiative aims to speed reactor construction by up to three years, with potential operations by the mid-2030s. The effort aligns with President Trump’s executive orders to expand nuclear power capacity amid rising electricity demand, particularly from data centers and manufacturing.
“These conditional loans will play an important role in reviving the supply chain needed for America to once again build large-scale commercial reactors,” Wright said in a statement.
The program requires participating utilities and energy companies to provide significant equity, with officials describing the loans as low-risk to taxpayers. At least seven utilities have expressed interest, according to department statements. Specific project sites and sponsors have not yet been finalized.
No new large-scale nuclear reactors are currently under construction in the U.S. The announcement represents the largest such federal financing push in decades for the sector. The AP1000 design has been used in recent projects, including at the Vogtle plant in Georgia.
Environmental and nuclear safety advocates have raised questions about long-term waste management and project costs, though details of formal responses were limited in initial reports. Proponents highlight nuclear power’s role in providing reliable, low-carbon baseload electricity.
As of Wednesday, the Department of Energy continued to review applications and finalize terms for the conditional commitments. Officials said further details on selected projects would be released as agreements advance. No timeline for final loan closings was specified.
