Trump Eyes $17.5 Billion Nuclear Push as AI Energy Demand Jumps
U.S. to Offer $17.5 Billion in Loans for Nuclear Reactors, Energy Dept. Says The Trump administration said Tuesday it's putting up $17.5 billion in conditional loans to boost orders for 10 big nuclear reactors, aiming to revive U.S. nuclear construction as AI and data centers add pressure to the power grid. The Energy Department said the funding would back up to five projects, each using two Westinghouse AP1000 reactors. U.S. power demand is picking up now after a long stretch of flat growth, driven in part by data centers running cloud and AI. These big facilities are among the top new pressures on regional grids. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told reporters that loans got strong interest from data-center “hyperscalers”, as well as utilities and energy firms.