US electricity demand surges driving focus on nuclear reliability

Growing electricity consumption from artificial intelligence, data centers, and general electrification is driving up power demand across the United States, Power Magazine reported. The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts national electricity consumption to grow by approximately 2.2 percent in 2026 and by an additional 1.6 percent in 2027. [1]

Power Magazine reported that Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimates data centers could consume 11.8 percent of all U.S. electricity by 2030. The laboratory placed this forecast within an expected range between 9.5 percent and 15.3 percent. To meet this load, operators are seeking ways to maintain aging nuclear reactors without adding extra outage days. [1]

The existing United States nuclear fleet consists of 96 commercial reactors generating a net capacity of 98 gigawatts, split between 65 pressurized water reactors and 31 boiling water reactors. Nuclear power supplied 18.6 percent of total U.S. electric energy generation by 2024, after producing 771.5 terawatt-hours in 2022 and nearly half of all U.S. emission-free energy in 2018. [2]

Rising data center demand has also spurred expansion in fossil fuel development, as FTMQ Climate reported earlier. Proposed grid-connected natural gas power plant capacity through 2030 reached 60.4 gigawatts, while plans for new wind power additions have shrunk. [4]