The Trump administration will provide $4.2 billion in federal funding to upgrade three nuclear power plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania, Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced Monday.
Vistra, the owner of the facilities, will use the conditional loan to improve reactors at Beaver Valley in Pennsylvania and Davis-Besse and Perry in Ohio. The upgrades are expected to add 433 megawatts to the national grid and create approximately 3,000 jobs.
Wright said the move delivers on Trump's pledge to revive U.S. nuclear power. "More affordable, reliable, around-the-clock energy for American families and businesses" will come from increasing output at existing plants, he said.
The three plants currently hold a combined capacity of nearly 4 gigawatts—enough to power more than 3 million homes. Nuclear plants operate at about 92.3 percent capacity, higher than any other energy source.
Trump set a goal last year to quadruple U.S. nuclear capacity by 2050. The administration has also finalized loans to reopen decommissioned reactor sites, established pathways for small modular reactor development, and ordered a federal regulatory overhaul to speed approval for new construction.
The Energy Department has committed more than $17 billion in loans for construction of 10 new large nuclear reactors. The push for expanded nuclear capacity serves Trump's aim to boost overall U.S. energy output and secure baseload power for artificial intelligence and data center operations.
