NextEra Energy Explores Major Nuclear Expansion to Power Surging Data Center Demand

NextEra Energy Explores Major Nuclear Expansion to Power Surging Data Center Demand January 27, 2026 The explosive growth of data centers, fueled by artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, is reshaping America's power landscape, driving utilities to seek large-scale, reliable, and carbon-free energy sources. This demand is catalyzing a significant revival of interest in nuclear power as a foundational solution for the digital economy's energy needs. NextEra Energy Inc., the largest U.S. power provider by market value, announced on Tuesday that it is in advanced discussions to supply an additional 9 gigawatts of electricity to data center customers. This potential expansion is part of a broader strategy to leverage nuclear energy. The company revealed it has the capability to add up to 6 gigawatts of new nuclear generation capacity at its existing nuclear sites and is also evaluating greenfield locations for advanced nuclear power plants. This follows last year's announcement to restart its Duane Arnold nuclear facility in Iowa to serve Google's data centers. The scale of interest is particularly pronounced in Florida, where NextEra's regulated utility, Florida Power & Light, has approximately 20 gigawatts of data center customers expressing interest in connecting to the grid. The company stated that nearly half of these projects are in advanced discussions and have the potential to be operational by 2028, with some announcements expected as early as 2026. This surge in demand contributed to the utility's strong quarterly performance, posting a net income of $958 million, a 13.4% increase from the previous year. NextEra's earnings report underscored the broader energy transition. The company narrowly exceeded Wall Street's fourth-quarter profit estimates, aided by its regulated utility's growth and a record year for its renewable energy arm, NextEra Energy Resources. This unit added about 13.5 gigawatts of new renewable generation and battery storage projects to its backlog in 2025, bringing its total development pipeline to roughly 30 gigawatts. The segment reported a net income of $545 million for the quarter, a sharp reversal from a $442 million loss a year ago. The move toward nuclear expansion signals a strategic pivot for the utility sector. As the Energy Information Administration forecasts U.S. power consumption to reach new highs in 2026, driven by data centers and electrification, utilities like NextEra are positioning nuclear power—both existing and next-generation technologies—as a critical, stable baseload to complement intermittent renewables. The company reaffirmed its long-term financial targets, expecting adjusted earnings per share between $3.92 and $4.02 for 2026 and projecting annual earnings growth of 8% or more through 2032. Source: Reuters