New York will develop a new nuclear power plant, the first to be built in the state in decades

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced plans to develop a new nuclear power plant, which will be the first new nuclear power plant to be built in New York in decades.

The Trump administration has pushed for "energy dominance" in the United States, and with tech companies needing more and more power for their AI data centers, New York wants to be at the center of that action with a new nuclear power plant.

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority president and CEO Doreen Harris said in a press release: "The use of advanced nuclear technology can provide the State with a greater diversity of its energy resources that will support New York's goal of a growing economy with a reliable, zero-emission electricity system".

Hochul is directing the New York Power Authority to construct at least one new site for nuclear energy upstate, which will have the capacity to generate at least 1 gigawatt of electricity, which works out to around half the capacity of the Hoover Dam power plant.

The state is also looking into advanced reactors that are still under development, aiming at overcoming some of the issues that the nuclear energy industry has stumbled with over the years. We saw Rolls-Royce unveil its Micro-Reactor, a new Small Modular Reactor (SMR) with zero-emission power using advanced nuclear power, which will pave the future for new power systems.

Governor Hochul said: "As New York State electrifies its economy, deactivates aging fossil fuel power generation and continues to attract large manufacturers that create good-paying jobs, we must embrace an energy policy of abundance that centers on energy independence and supply chain security to ensure New York controls its energy future. This is the second time during my administration that I am calling on the New York Power Authority to lead a critical energy initiative, and just as it is doing with the expedited buildout of renewable energy and transmission, it will now safely and rapidly deploy clean, reliable nuclear power for the benefit of all New Yorkers".