At the American Nuclear Society conference on Nov. 10, Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced that the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office will prioritize loan guarantees for building, restarting or expanding nuclear power plants. Wright said the financing for these projects will be matched at least “three to one, maybe even up to four to one” with low-cost debt from the loan office.

The administration hopes the loans will help ensure dozens of nuclear plants are under construction by the end of President Trump’s second term, following a May executive order calling for 10 large reactors to break ground by 2030. So far, the office has released more than $490 million to restart the 800-megawatt Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan, marking the nation’s first restart of a decommissioned commercial reactor. 11/12/2025