New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has upped the ante on previous plans and called for the state to build up to five gigawatts or 5,000 megawatts of new nuclear energy.
Hochul announced the increased scope during her 2026 state of the state address on Jan. 13.
Last summer, Hochul announced plans for New York to build up to 1,000 new megawatts of nuclear energy upstate. The New York Power Authority was put in charge of formulating the state’s approach to more nuclear power online and in late October it issued a request for information regarding the nuclear project.
However, during Hochul’s state address, she said the state should invest more in its nuclear power plans.
“But if there’s one thing I believe, it’s this: Go big or go home. So, I’ve decided to raise the bar to five gigawatts,” Hochul said in her address. “That’s more nuclear energy than has been built anywhere in the United States in the last 30 years.”
The new initiative, named “Nuclear Reliability Backbone”, will lay the groundwork for new nuclear generation to support grid reliability, the governor said.
The Nuclear Reliability Backbone will be “developed by a new Department of Public Service (DPS) process to consider, review, and facilitate a cost-effective pathway to four gigawatts of new nuclear energy that will combine with existing nuclear generation and the New York Power Authority’s (NYPA) previously announced one gigawatt project, to create an 8.4 gigawatt “backbone” of reliable energy for New Yorkers,” according to Hochul’s 2026 state of state document.
“And to make sure New Yorkers are ready, we’ll launch a nuclear workforce development program so we can forge our clean energy future together,” Hochul said.
The nuclear workforce development initiative, “NextGen Nuclear New York”, will expand partnerships with K-12 schools, colleges, labor groups to provide the necessary training and curriculum to meet industry needs, according to the document.
New York currently has three operating nuclear power plants: Nine Mile Point, Robert Emmett Ginna, and James Fitzpatrick. Indian Point nuclear plant previously operated in New York. However, its two units shut down in 2020 and 2021 respectively.