Rising energy demands from AI data centers and industrial electrification have sparked interest in restarting closed nuclear plants. While most decommissioned reactors are too far gone for recovery, a few recently shut down units in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Iowa show realistic potential for a return to service. Bringing these plants back online could add approximately 2.25 GW of carbon-free baseload power to the US grid. This strategy offers a faster alternative to new builds, though it requires significant refurbishment costs and complex regulatory approval from the NRC.
