The U.S. Department of Energy issued a conditional loan commitment totaling $17.5 billion to finance the purchase of long-lead time items for the commercial nuclear supply chain. The Office of Energy Dominance Financing announced the funding on June 23, 2026, supporting five eligible projects sponsored by utilities and energy companies nationwide. The initiative is designed to accelerate the deployment of 10 large-scale commercial nuclear reactors across the United States by up to three years.
What it means
The conditional commitment indicates the Department of Energy’s intent to provide loans, though definitive financing documents and funding require the satisfaction of technical, legal, environmental, and financial conditions. The EDF financing will support up to five loans, with each loan supporting two reactors at a single project site. Westinghouse will partner with up to five eligible utilities and energy companies nationwide to procure long-lead items at a fixed price. Each project will be jointly owned by Westinghouse and a utility or energy company partner.
Both Westinghouse and the partner must fully commit their project equity upfront prior to accessing DOE loan funds. The required upfront equity commitment is $500 million from Westinghouse and $500 million from the utility or energy company partner, totaling $1 billion per project. Purchasing for each project will be staggered based on the timing of equity commitments and other relevant factors. Westinghouse has signed letters of intent with seven potential partners, each with identified project sites.
The initiative advances President Trump’s Executive Order, Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base, with the objective of having 10 new large nuclear reactors with complete designs under construction by 2030. Westinghouse’s AP1000® units are the only licensed large-scale advanced commercial reactors operating in the United States today, with each reactor providing 1.1 GW of power generation capacity. The combined output of all 10 reactors can power nearly 10 million American households. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the loans will play an important role in reviving the supply chain needed for America to once again build large-scale commercial reactors, lowering construction costs and ensuring the United States is able to deliver on President Trump’s bold and ambitious energy addition agenda. Secretary Wright will visit Idaho National Laboratory on Thursday, June 25.
Key facts
- $17.5 billion: Total value of the conditional loan commitments
- 10: Number of large-scale commercial nuclear reactors to be deployed
- Up to three years: Acceleration of deployment timeline
- 2030: Target year for having 10 new large nuclear reactors under construction
- Five: Maximum number of loans supported by EDF financing
- Two: Number of reactors supported per loan/project site
- $1 billion: Total required upfront equity commitment per project ($500 million from Westinghouse, $500 million from partner)
- Seven: Number of potential partners with signed letters of intent
- 1.1 GW: Power generation capacity of each AP1000® reactor
Source: U.S. Department of Energy news release (energy.gov)