Why It Matters
No permanently closed U.S. nuclear reactor has ever restarted, but three restarts are currently underway, raising new questions for Congress, according to a new Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on nuclear energy policy.
The 94 licensed reactors at 54 U.S. sites generate about 20% of the nation's electricity, and the Trump administration has set targets of 10 new large reactors under construction by 2030 and quadrupled generating capacity, to 400,000 megawatts, by 2050.
The report attributes the three planned restarts, at Palisades in Michigan, Three Mile Island Unit 1 in Pennsylvania, and Duane Arnold in Iowa, to federal and state financial support and anticipated electricity demand growth. Holtec, the owner of Palisades, stated that it began loading fuel into the reactor on Aug. 30.
The Big Picture
Whether new reactors move forward will likely depend largely on their economic competitiveness, according to the report. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates nuclear generation for plants coming online in 2031 would cost 8.8 cents per kilowatt-hour, including tax credits, compared with 5.7 cents for onshore wind and 5.8 cents for solar photovoltaics, all in 2025 dollars. The report notes such estimates depend on future fuel costs, regional resource availability and tax incentives.
The Trump administration signed four executive orders on May 23, 2025, to accelerate nuclear deployment. Executive Order 14302 set the 10-reactor construction goal. Executive Order 14301 required the Department of Energy to approve at least three test reactors with a criticality goal by July 4, 2026. Four reactors met that deadline, according to a DOE announcement.
The U.S. signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia on July 22. The agreement does not require Saudi Arabia to forgo uranium enrichment, and U.S. consent for Saudi enrichment could be granted after a two-year study, according to the report. Sponsors of a House disapproval resolution argued the agreement "fails to secure these critical safety measures."
Among 119th Congress nuclear-related bills, H.R.1350 has passed the House, S.1801 and H.R.1474 have been reported by committee, and H.R.9022, the fiscal 2027 Energy and Water appropriations bill, was reported by committee on May 22.
The Bottom Line
The Saudi agreement was transmitted to Congress, and disapproval resolutions have been introduced in both chambers: H.J.Res. 217 was referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Sept. 16, and S.J.Res. 221 was referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Oct. 15.
Whether new reactors will prove cost-competitive enough to meet the administration's construction and capacity targets remains open, dependent on economic conditions, demand growth and federal support.
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