KEY POINTS
- New York plans up to 4 GW of new advanced nuclear, on top of current plants and projects.
- Upstate communities and 23 developers want roles in siting and building plants.
- Nuclear growth could power Micron’s chip hub near Syracuse.
As part of New York’s pledge to create a zero-emission electric grid, Governor Kathy Hochul is calling for as much as 4 gigawatts of new advanced nuclear power in the state. That would be added on top of New York’s three current plants and a previously announced 1‑gigawatt New York Power Authority (NYPA) project, creating part of an 8.4‑gigawatt “nuclear backbone” for the grid.
Hochul made the announcement during her 2026 State of the State Address on January 13, with the goal of providing steady, around-the-clock power that can back up wind and solar.
Large projects in New York, like Micron’s planned $100 billion chip campus near Syracuse, will need huge amounts of reliable power. So will any future data centers and advanced manufacturing facilities.
What does New York’s nuclear push mean for construction?
For the construction industry, this could mean more business. Advanced reactors are being pitched as smaller and easier to site than older plants, opening a wider range of locations where they could be built. In fact, six counties and one city have already raised their hands and expressed interest in hosting one of these plants.
The communities interested include:
- Broome County
- Jefferson County
- Oswego County
- Schuyler County
- St. Lawrence County
- Wayne County
- City of Dunkirk
By expressing interest, these communities will open talks with New York leadership about land, local support, and how a project might fit with schools, housing, and existing industries. RED‑Rochester, for example, an energy provider in the City of Rochester, has also offered its services. The Governor says the state will launch training programs, like NextGen Nuclear New York, to build a local workforce for these projects.
What developers and energy companies are interested in building out nuclear power in New York?
In addition to the communities interested in hosting a nuclear plant, the Governor’s office says 23 companies and developers have signed up to work with NYPA on studies, designs, and potential reactor, engineering, or construction roles if projects move forward.
Those companies are:
- Accenture
- AECOM
- Blue Energy
- Burns & McDonnell
- Candu Energy
- Constellation Energy
- Elementl Power
- GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy
- Holtec International
- Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company
- Metro Nuclear
- NANO Nuclear Energy
- Natura Resources
- NextEra Energy Resources
- Nuclear Promise X (NPX)
- nVision Energy
- Oppenheimer Energy
- Rolls Royce SMR Limited
- Terra Power
- The Nuclear Company
- Westinghouse Electric Company
- WSP USA
- X Energy
Stay Connected
Stay connected with ConstructConnect News, your source for construction economy insights, market trends, and project news.
About ConstructConnect
At ConstructConnect, our software solutions provide the information that construction professionals need to start every project on a solid foundation. For more than 100 years, our keen insights and market intelligence have empowered commercial firms, building product manufacturers, trade contractors, and architects to make data-driven decisions, streamline preconstruction workflows, and maximize their productivity. Our newest offerings—including our comprehensive, AI-assisted software—help our clients find, bid on, and win more projects.
ConstructConnect operates as a business unit of Roper Technologies (Nasdaq: ROP), a constituent of the Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, and Fortune 1000.
For more information, visit constructconnect.com
