U.S. Planning to Open 200 New Nuclear Plants

While the planned restart of Three Mile Island brings nuclear power back into the spotlight, it’s not the game-changer the U.S. energy grid desperately needs. But firing up old reactors won’t be enough to meet rising electricity demand or hit the country’s carbon-cutting goals. Instead, the U.S. needs to triple its nuclear output—and that means building an additional 200 reactors.

Currently, the U.S. boasts the largest nuclear fleet in the world, with 94 reactors generating about 100 gigawatts of electricity. Yet, that only covered 18% of the nation’s power needs in 2023. As energy consumption surges and climate deadlines loom, Goff’s call for an extra 200 gigawatts of nuclear power isn’t a suggestion—it’s a wake-up call. A massive infusion of nuclear plants is necessary to ensure both energy security and a future without fossil fuel dependency.

But here’s the catch: building new nuclear plants doesn’t happen overnight. Between public skepticism, high costs, and regulatory roadblocks, nuclear power has been on the back burner for decades. And while wind and solar dominate the headlines as the darlings of green energy, they lack the reliability and scale that nuclear offers.

Restarting Three Mile Island may feel like a victory lap for the nuclear industry, but in reality, it’s a reminder of how much ground we’ve lost. Goff’s vision calls for nothing short of a nuclear renaissance, but time is running out. Without swift action, the U.S. risks missing its climate targets and ceding energy leadership on the global stage.

In a world where energy demand continues to rise, incremental fixes won’t cut it. The U.S. needs to stop treating nuclear as an afterthought and embrace it as the cornerstone of a sustainable future. Three Mile Island’s revival is a small step forward, but it’s time for a much bigger leap.