By Bloomberg
Mar 05, 2026

(Bloomberg) -- Nuclear power is winning support from tech companies, utilities and governments seeking carbon-free, round-the-clock energy to fuel an artificial intelligence boom. In October, the Trump administration added fresh impetus — advancing an $80 billion plan to subsidize new facilities and fast-track experimental designs.

And yet in much of the world — from the US to France, Europe’s nuclear powerhouse — those lofty ambitions are at odds with the reality of an industry hollowed out by decades of stagnation.A Bloomberg News analysis of company announcements, construction pipelines and industry forecasts suggest the current push comes too late to stop China’s nuclear capacity from overtaking the US fleet at the start of the next decade. Today, the US is the biggest producer of electricity from splitting atoms, but its output will plateau over the next decade. Others, like Japan, are struggling to maintain their capacities.

China stands in stark contrast. It’s building reactors at an unprecedented pace — as many as 10 units a year — backed by state financing and a homegrown supply chain, as it pursues energy security, cleaner air and technological dominance. If current construction plans and projections hold, it will overtake the US’s capacity by 2032, the data show.

That could give Beijing a crucial advantage in the scramble for the energy needed to gain an edge in power-intensive artificial intelligence.

…