The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a conditional loan commitment of up to USD 5 billion to support constellation nuclear upgrades and modernisation across Constellation Energyโs facilities in Illinois, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The planned improvements are expected to add nearly 1.1 gigawatts (GW) of electricity to the grid, strengthening power supply across the PJM Interconnection and Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) regions.
The financing commitment was announced through the DOEโs Office of Energy Dominance Financing (EDF). It will support upgrades at nine existing nuclear power plants, allowing Constellation to increase electricity generation from its operating fleet.
The projects are expected to provide enough additional electricity to power more than 930,000 homes. They are also projected to support more than 10,000 project-related jobs across Constellationโs nuclear operations.
Loan Supports US Nuclear Capacity Expansion
The commitment advances the administrationโs objective of expanding electricity generation from existing nuclear reactors. An executive order titled Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base called on the DOE to facilitate 5 GW of power uprates at existing nuclear facilities.
In March 2026, the department launched the Utility Power Reactor Incremental Scaling Effort (UPRISE) to accelerate nuclear capacity expansion by increasing power generation from the countryโs existing reactors. The DOE stated that 95% of the 5-GW uprate and restart goal had been identified at the time of the announcement.
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said the financing would help maximise the generation potential of the existing nuclear fleet.
โThe Energy Department is accelerating President Trumpโs American nuclear renaissance and unlocking the full potential of our nationโs nuclear fleet,โ said US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. โUprates that maximize power generation from our existing nuclear facilities are yet another example of the commonsense energy addition policies the Trump Administration is embracingโensuring more affordable, reliable, and secure energy for American families and businesses.โ
Nine Nuclear Plants Included in Modernisation Plans
The planned investments cover six facilities in Illinois: Braidwood, Byron, Clinton, Dresden, LaSalle and Quad Cities. The programme also includes Calvert Cliffs in Maryland and Limerick in Pennsylvania.
The constellation nuclear upgrades are intended to increase the output of these existing plants, making greater use of established nuclear infrastructure to meet rising electricity demand. The conditional commitment also includes an option to finance future uprate projects at additional Constellation facilities.
EDF Director Gregory A. Beard said the financing would support the modernisation and expansion of the country’s nuclear generation capacity.
โEDF is delivering on President Trump and Secretary Wrightโs commitment to unleash American nuclear power by financing projects that modernize and expand our nationโs existing nuclear plants,โ said EDF Director Gregory A. Beard. โThese investments will add more reliable baseload power to the grid, help lower electricity costs, strengthen our nationโs energy security, and fuel long-term American prosperity.โ
Funding Remains Subject to Conditions
The USD 5 billion commitment is conditional and does not represent a completed loan. Before the DOE can enter into definitive financing agreements and disburse funds, Constellation must meet specified technical, legal, environmental and financial requirements.
Once those conditions are satisfied, the financing is expected to support the planned upgrades across Constellationโs nuclear fleet and enable the additional generation capacity.