Energy Department Announces $5 Billion Loan to Boost Nuclear Power and Help Lower Costs in Illinois, Maryland, and Pennsylvania

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing today announced a conditional loan commitment of up to $5 billion to finance nuclear uprates and modernization across Constellation Energy’s nuclear fleet in Illinois, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Dominance Financing (EDF) today announced a conditional loan commitment of up to $5 billion to finance nuclear uprates and modernization across Constellation Energy’s nuclear fleet in Illinois, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. The modernization efforts will add nearly 1.1 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, strengthening the grid and lowering costs for millions of Americans across the PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (PJM) and Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) regions.

The loan advances President Trump’s Executive Order, Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base, which calls for DOE to facilitate 5 GW of power uprates from existing nuclear reactors. In March 2026, in accordance with the Executive Order, DOE launched its Utility Power Reactor Incremental Scaling Effort (UPRISE) to accelerate the expansion of the nation’s nuclear capacity by maximizing power generation from existing reactors. To date, 94% of President Trump’s 5-GW uprate and restart goal has been identified.

“The Energy Department is accelerating President Trump’s American nuclear renaissance and unlocking the full potential of our nation’s nuclear fleet,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “Uprates that maximize power generation from our existing nuclear facilities are yet another example of the commonsense energy addition policies the Trump Administration is embracing—ensuring more affordable, reliable, and secure energy for American families and businesses.”