The Trump administration has set a goal to quadruple America’s nuclear generation capacity by 2050 to 400GW. But nuclear power takes a long time to install and bring online, so in the meantime, there’s a plan to eke out every last GW possible from the existing fleet of nuclear reactors. That plan is called UPRISE, which stands for Utility Power Reactor Incremental Scaling Effort.
The Department of Energy explains UPRISE as follows:
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy is underway with a new effort that will use existing nuclear energy infrastructure to put more power on the grid.
The Utility Power Reactor Incremental Scaling Effort (UPRISE) strives to significantly expand the United States’ nuclear energy capacity by increasing the power output of existing reactors, bringing dormant facilities back online, and completing stalled projects.
Leveraging proven nuclear technologies and streamlined regulatory processes, UPRISE plans to deliver immediate results that will accelerate nuclear power growth and foster innovation to address the nation’s urgent energy needs.
Why UPRISE? Why Now?
Nuclear energy plays a crucial role in ensuring America’s energy security and achieving and maintaining energy independence. A reliable and secure source of power, nuclear energy can help meet national energy demands.
Currently, the nation’s energy needs are projected to rise over the next several years. This increase is driven in part by growth in industrial manufacturing, as well as the power needs of data centers to support artificial intelligence.
Recognizing that access to affordable and abundant energy is key to driving opportunity and prosperity, the Trump Administration has set a bold goal of expanding American nuclear energy capacity from 100 GW today to 400 GW by 2050.
UPRISE aims to make a significant contribution to the effort by targeting the most cost-effective and immediate methods to significantly increase nuclear energy capacity. The initiative will focus on extending reactor lifespans through license renewals, boosting output via power uprates, restarting dormant facilities and optimizing operating plant efficiency with modern technologies including advanced fuel technologies. The UPRISE initiative aims to achieve 2.5 GW of additional nuclear capacity by 2027 and 5 GW of total additional nuclear capacity by 2029.
“This will be a resurgence for America’s nuclear fleet,” said Department of Energy Deputy Assistant Secretary Rian Bahran. “Through UPRISE, the Department will work with industry to surpass the President’s goal of 5 GW of domestic nuclear energy expansion by 2030.”
What’s Next?
Near-term actions will be centered on a three-pronged approach focused on establishing the business case by examining supply chain readiness, assessing plant equipment for increased power output or upgrades, and validating economic models to support project investment decisions. The effort will also support research to streamline regulatory processes, advancements in nuclear fuels, and workforce initiatives as a foundation for future nuclear deployments.
Later this year, through the UPRISE initiative, the Office of Nuclear Energy and Office of Energy Dominance Financing (EDF) will convene match-making workshops to facilitate collaborative agreements between nuclear power plant owners and end users. EDF has more than $289 billion in available loan authority and is able to provide up to 80 percent financing for eligible project costs associated with nuclear uprates at attractive interest rates. DOE loan program support was instrumental to the successful deployments of Vogle Units 3 and 4 and is currently being used to support the Palisades Nuclear Plant and Crane Clean Energy Center restarts.
By aligning DOE resources, industry expertise, and regulatory reforms, UPRISE is positioned to lead to significant increases in the nation’s nuclear energy capacity over the next ten years.
According to the American Nuclear Society, Idaho National Laboratory will manage the effort. ANS writes:
The Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy has launched a new initiative to meet the government’s goal of increasing U.S. nuclear energy capacity by boosting the power output of existing nuclear reactors through uprates and restarts and by completing stalled reactor projects.
UPRISE, the Utility Power Reactor Incremental Scaling Effort, managed by Idaho National Laboratory, is to “deliver immediate results that will accelerate nuclear power growth and foster innovation to address the nation’s urgent energy needs,” DOE-NE said in its announcement.
Idaho National Laboratory announced its support for the effort on X.com:
.@INL proudly supports the efforts of @GovNuclear‘s newly launched Utility Power Reactor Incremental Scaling Effort (UPRISE), an initiative focused on accelerating domestic #NuclearEnergy production by maximizing the nation’s existing infrastructure. ⚛️
🔗https://t.co/YT0bRLWe0i https://t.co/UX01K7CEAZ
— Idaho National Lab (@INL) March 12, 2026
Action Line: Efficiently and reliably powering America’s growing electricity demand is key to a growing economy. America’s nuclear renaissance has begun, and plucking the low-hanging fruit of nuclear power that already exists is one way to help America achieve its goals. Click here to subscribe to my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter.
