Three previously closed US nuclear power plants are being prepared for recommissioning, potentially restoring a combined 2.25 GW of generating capacity as electricity demand from artificial intelligence and data centres continues to increase. The nuclear restarts involve Holtec International, Constellation Energy and NextEra Energy, with Microsoft and Google among the companies supporting the projects through long-term electricity purchasing agreements. According to an Associated Press report , the US Department of Energy is providing up to $4.4 billion in loans to support the three projects. If completed, they would collectively generate enough electricity to supply approximately two million homes and businesses. Three nuclear restarts under way The most advanced project is the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan, which Holtec International is preparing to return to service after its closure in 2022. The 800 MW pressurised water reactor entered the refuelling phase in August 2026, although subsequent fuel-handling work encountered delays. The plant is now targeting a return to electricity generation around March 2027. In Pennsylvania, Constellation Energy is spending approximately $1.6 billion to restart Unit 1 of the former Three Mile Island nuclear facility, now renamed the Crane Clean Energy Center. The 835 MW reactor was retired in 2019 for economic reasons and is separate from Unit 2, which experienced a partial meltdown in 1979. Microsoft has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Constellation to support the project, which is targeting a restart in 2027. The US government has also provided a $1 billion loan towards the refurbishment. The third project involves NextEra Energy’s Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa. The 615 MW boiling water reactor, which closed in 2020, is expected to resume operations in the first quarter of 2029. Google has signed a 25-year agreement to purchase electricity from the facility, helping support its growing cloud computing and AI infrastructure. NextEra has secured a federal loan of up to $1.9 billion for the project. AI power demand changes nuclear economics All three facilities were previously retired when their operating economics became less favourable. However, rising electricity demand, particularly from hyperscale data centres, has changed the commercial outlook for nuclear generation. Large technology companies increasingly require continuous electricity supplies measured in hundreds of megawatts. As eeNews Europe previously examined in its coverage of AI infrastructure power requirements , electricity availability and delays in obtaining grid connections are becoming significant obstacles to data centre expansion. Recommissioning existing reactors offers an alternative to constructing new nuclear facilities, which can require considerably longer development periods. Existing plants already have much of the necessary infrastructure, including grid connections, cooling systems and turbine equipment, although substantial inspections, repairs and regulatory approvals remain necessary. The proposed nuclear restarts also highlight the distinction between restoring conventional generating capacity and deploying new small modular reactors (SMRs). While technology companies are investing in SMR development, most commercial projects remain several years from operation. None of the three restored reactors is yet generating electricity. Their projected commissioning dates remain subject to technical work and approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, while questions about ageing equipment, refurbishment costs and the use of public financing continue to accompany the projects. The post Nuclear restarts: Holtec, Constellation, NextEra plan 2.25 GW appeared first on eeNews Europe .