The number of nuclear power plants needed to make US government data centers operational depends entirely on the total energy demand of those centers, which is not a single fixed figure and is projected to increase significantly in the coming years.
However, based on current projections, powering all US government data centers would likely require the equivalent of several large-scale nuclear power plants or numerous small modular reactors (SMRs).
Key Power Metrics
Average Nuclear Plant Output: A typical large-scale nuclear power plant produces approximately 1 gigawatt (GW) of power, or about 8.7 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity annually.
US Data Center Power Demand: Total U.S. data center energy use was around 176 TWh in 2023. Projections for all U.S. data centers (government and private) estimate demand could reach 325 TWh to 580 TWh annually by 2028 due to AI and cloud computing growth.
Estimated Need
While specific data for only US government data centers is not publicly itemized in the search results, current energy use and projections for all US data centers can provide context.
To power the entire U.S. data center fleet at its 2023 consumption level (176 TWh), approximately 20 large nuclear power plants would be needed (176 TWh / 8.7 TWh per plant).
To meet the high-end 2028 projections (580 TWh), that number would rise to roughly 67 large nuclear power plants.
Current Initiatives
The Department of Energy is actively exploring the use of nuclear power to meet the growing demands of AI and data centers.
The DOE is using its own land to help pair AI centers and nuclear reactors and has set a goal to get at least three advanced reactors operational by July 4, 2026.
Private companies are also planning nuclear solutions. One startup plans to build 30 "micro" nuclear plants for data centers in Texas, and Google has an agreement to potentially deploy up to seven small modular reactors (SMRs).
SMRs are a key part of the strategy, as their scalable power output (averaging 77 MW each) can grow with data center needs.
In short, powering all current and future government data centers with nuclear energy is a large-scale project involving multiple facilities, rather than a single plant.
To power the approximately 19 gigawatts (GW) of demand required by U.S. data centers as of 2026, roughly 15 to 20 traditional nuclear reactors would be needed.
The transition to nuclear power for data centers is currently characterized by three primary approaches:
1. Traditional Large-Scale Reactors
Capacity: A standard large nuclear reactor produces approximately 1 GW (1,000 MW) of electricity, enough to power roughly 100,000 to 400,000 households depending on regional usage.
Deployment: To meet the current 19–21 GW demand of U.S. data centers, about 19 to 21 such reactors would be required.
Future Expansion: A $80 billion plan aims to fund five new large reactors (AP1000 design) to increase U.S. capacity by roughly 5.7% by 2030.
2.
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
Capacity: SMRs are designed to be smaller and more scalable, typically producing between 20 MW and 300 MW.
Purpose: These are intended to be co-located with individual data center campuses. A single 100+ MW hyperscale data center would require the output of approximately one large SMR or 3–5 smaller units.
2026 Pilot: A Department of Energy pilot program aims to have at least three advanced reactors achieving criticality by July 4, 2026.
3. Repurposed Naval Reactors
Concept: Proposals exist to repurpose reactors from decommissioned Navy ships, such as the USS Nimitz, to power federal research facilities.
Output: A pair of these reactors could generate up to 520 MW, which could support multiple specialized government AI data centers, such as those at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Estimated 2026 Energy Context
Total Data Center Demand: U.S. data centers are projected to account for 6% of domestic energy consumption by the end of 2026.
Overall Nuclear Capacity: The U.S. currently has approximately 100 GW of total nuclear capacity from 93 reactors. Powering the entire data center industry exclusively through nuclear would require a 20% increase in the current national nuclear fleet.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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