Trump Administration Considers 5 States for $50 Billion Nuclear Investment as Data Centers Strain Power Grid

The Department of Energy will consider five states to host "innovation campuses" devoted to nuclear energy, which could bring them a total of 25,000 jobs and $50 billion in investment.Utah, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Idaho, and Louisiana are the five finalists to host the innovation campuses, picked from applications of 26 states. Each could host a facility where the government studies the "full nuclear fuel cycle," as part of an effort to kick-start the nation's nuclear energy capacity.The federal government is on a mission to nearly quadruple America's nuclear energy output—from 97 gigawatts in 2025 to 400 gigawatts by 2050. The nation's 97 nuclear reactors provide 19% of the nation's electric power.That includes investing $17.5 billion to purchase nuclear reactors to open five more nuclear plants in the nation. And it comes as data center energy demands have sent energy costs rising for many American homeowners. “These campuses will be massive generators of economic growth, create thousands of high-paying jobs, and be crucial to unleashing America’s nuclear renaissance," U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said. "The innovative concept is a direct result of President Trump’s leaders...