You’ve probably heard people say nuclear energy is a thing of the past. Honestly, if you look at the news lately, it's the exact opposite. We are seeing a massive, multi-billion-dollar pivot toward nuclear that nobody saw coming five years ago.
It’s kinda wild.
Big tech companies like Microsoft and Google are basically throwing money at old reactors to get them back online. Why? Because AI data centers are hungry. They need power 24/7, and wind or solar just can't keep up when the sun goes down.
If you're looking for a list of nuclear power plants usa has active right now, the numbers are shifting. As of early 2026, we’re looking at 54 commercially operating plants across 28 states. That translates to 94 individual reactors.
💡 You might also like: Who Invented the Smartphone First: Why It Wasn't Who You Think
But that number is about to get bigger.
The Heavy Hitters: Which Plants Are Actually Running?
Most people think of nuclear plants as these aging monoliths, but they actually provide about 19% of the country’s total electricity. That is a massive chunk of the grid. Illinois is the undisputed king here. They have 11 reactors—the most in any state—churning out enough power to keep the lights on for millions of people.
Let’s look at the giants. For a long time, Palo Verde in Arizona was the biggest kid on the block. It’s got three reactors and sits in the middle of the desert, which is a bit ironic since it uses reclaimed sewage water for cooling.
But things changed in 2024.
The Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Georgia finally finished its Units 3 and 4. It was a mess for a while—years behind schedule and billions over budget—but now that it’s fully operational, it is officially the largest nuclear power plant in the United States. We’re talking over 4,600 megawatts of capacity.
A Quick Reality Check on the "Old" Fleet
A lot of the plants on the current list were built in the 70s and 80s. You might think that makes them "expired," but the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has been busy. They’ve been handing out 20-year license extensions like they’re candy.
Some plants, like Turkey Point in Florida and Peach Bottom in Pennsylvania, have been approved to run for 80 years. It sounds crazy, but with modern sensors and AI-driven maintenance, these things are often in better shape now than they were when they first went live.
The Resurrection: Reopening Dead Plants
This is the part that’s actually making headlines in 2026. Usually, once a nuclear plant shuts down, it’s done. You start the "decommissioning" process, which takes decades and involves a lot of concrete and red tape.
Not anymore.
Take the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station in Michigan. It shut down in 2022. Everyone thought it was over. But Holtec International bought it, and with a $1.5 billion federal loan guarantee, they are aiming to restart it by early 2026.
If they pull it off, it’ll be the first time in U.S. history a decommissioned plant has been brought back to life.
And then there’s the one everyone recognizes: Three Mile Island.
Specifically, Unit 1 (the one that didn't have the famous accident). Constellation Energy renamed the site the Crane Clean Energy Center. They signed a massive 20-year deal with Microsoft. Basically, Bill Gates’ old company needs so much juice for AI that they are single-handedly financing the restart of a nuclear reactor. It’s expected to be back on the grid by 2027.
The Current List of Nuclear Power Plants USA (By State)
Instead of a boring table, let's look at where the power is concentrated. Most reactors are east of the Mississippi River. The West Coast is surprisingly sparse, though Diablo Canyon in California is the big exception. It was supposed to close, but the state realized they’d have rolling blackouts without it, so they extended its life.
- Illinois: The powerhouse. Plants like Braidwood, Byron, and Dresden are the backbone of the Midwest grid.
- Pennsylvania: Home to Beaver Valley, Limerick, Peach Bottom, and the soon-to-be-reborn Crane Center.
- The South: Georgia (Vogtle), South Carolina (Oconee, VC Summer), and North Carolina (McGuire, Brunswick) are doubling down.
- The Northeast: New York has the smallest plant on the list, R.E. Ginna, but it also has Nine Mile Point and FitzPatrick.
What about the "New" Nuclear?
You might hear people talking about SMRs—Small Modular Reactors. These aren't the giant cooling towers you see in The Simpsons. They’re smaller, safer, and supposedly cheaper to build.
TerraPower, backed by Bill Gates, is currently working on a Natrium reactor in Wyoming. They broke ground at a former coal site. It’s a poetic shift: replacing a coal plant with a liquid-sodium cooled nuclear reactor.
Why This Matters for Your Electricity Bill
Nuclear is expensive to build, but it's cheap to run. Once the plant is paid off, the fuel costs are negligible compared to natural gas.
In 2025, the Trump administration pushed for even more expansion, aiming to quadruple nuclear capacity by 2050. This isn't just a "green energy" thing anymore; it's a "national security and AI dominance" thing.
The NRC recently updated its rules to speed up licensing. In the past, it could take 10 years just to get the paperwork done. Now, they're trying to cut that in half.
Actionable Insights: What You Should Know
If you live near one of these plants or you're watching your energy stocks, keep an eye on these developments:
- Monitor Restart Timelines: Watch the Palisades (Michigan) restart in early 2026. If it succeeds without a hitch, expect more "zombie" plants to come back online.
- State-Level Incentives: States like Illinois and New York are passing laws to subsidize nuclear through "Zero Emission Credits." This makes them more profitable than natural gas in many markets.
- Local Real Estate: Living within a 10-mile "Emergency Planning Zone" (EPZ) doesn't actually hurt property values as much as people think. In many cases, the high-paying jobs at the plant actually boost the local economy.
- Tech Partnerships: Watch for more deals between utilities and "Big Tech." When Meta or Amazon signs a power purchase agreement (PPA) with a plant like Perry or Davis-Besse, it guarantees that plant stays open for another 20 years.
The list of nuclear power plants in the USA is no longer a static record of the past. It's a growing, breathing part of the future energy grid. Whether we're restarting 50-year-old reactors for Microsoft or building sodium-cooled plants in Wyoming, nuclear is officially back.
Check your local utility provider’s "Power Content Label" or annual report. Most people are surprised to find that a huge portion of their home's electricity—the power charging your phone right now—is actually coming from a split atom somewhere a few hundred miles away.
🔗 Read more: Angle of a Polygon: Why We All Keep Forgetting the Basics
Next Steps for You:
If you want to see exactly which plant serves your specific zip code, you can use the EPA’s Power Profiler tool. It’ll show you the exact fuel mix of your local grid. Also, keep an eye on the NRC’s public meeting schedule if you live near a plant like Palisades; they hold regular town halls where you can hear about safety inspections and restart progress first-hand.