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New York targets 5 GW of new nuclear after Indian Point closure
Governor Kathy Hochul is seeking 5 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity, including at least 1 GW via the New York Power Authority, as planning centers on supplying dependable low-carbon power.
Five years after the last Indian Point reactor shut down, New York Governor Kathy Hochul is pushing for a new wave of nuclear power intended to deliver electricity that runs around the clock without burning fossil fuels, according to OilPrice.
Hochul wants 5 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity, with at least 1 gigawatt developed by the publicly owned New York Power Authority, plus a separate 4 gigawatt initiative. OilPrice notes there have been no specific announcements for the technology of choice, but the most likely candidates are the large Westinghouse AP1000 and GE Vernova Hitachi’s smaller 300 MW BWRX-300.
The shift comes after developments that weakened New York’s previous push for renewables, OilPrice reports, including a weakening of the state’s climate law this spring and challenges in delivering large renewable projects. The outlet also points to the Trump administration’s actions that it says disrupted offshore wind.
OilPrice adds that Hochul, who faces re-election, could frame new nuclear as a win-win for dependable low-carbon generation and for industrial investment, construction jobs, and lower bills. The piece says eight upstate communities have expressed interest in hosting projects, and it cites an NYISO 2026 Power Trends warning that replacing more than 4 gigawatts of near constant-output nuclear with less than 3 gigawatts of something else poses reliability challenges.