A new trend in nuclear energy: Squeezing more power out of old plants

• The article says US nuclear firms are boosting old reactors through “power uprates” to add faster, cheaper clean power as AI drives electricity demand.
• Constellation, Vistra, Amazon and Google are funding upgrades that could add 6,000 to 8,000MW, while regulators review safety and some plants may need more maintenance.
• Experts say the trend is a short-term step, not a full solution, because major nuclear growth still needs new reactors, which remain costly, slow and risky to build.

WASHINGTON – Building a nuclear power plant is a long, hard slog. So lately, many companies are eyeing a faster, cheaper solution: Squeezing even more power out of old reactors that were built decades ago.

This process, known as a “power uprate”, involves upgrading key components inside nuclear plants such as controls, turbines or pumps so that they can generate more electricity.