Global nuclear power capacity is expected to expand sharply over the next decade, led by rapid reactor construction in China and India, according to a report released on Wednesday by research provider BloombergNEF (BNEF). The forecast comes as governments seek to meet rising electricity demand and climate targets while the United States moves to accelerate approvals for new nuclear projects.
BNEF projects global installed nuclear capacity will increase to 535 gigawatts (GW) by 2036, up 44% from 372 GW in 2025. The report said the expansion would mark a significant shift for an industry that has experienced limited growth since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011.
China is expected to lead the expansion. The country had 59 GW of nuclear reactors under construction at the end of 2025 and is projected to reach 102 GW of installed capacity by the end of the decade, surpassing the United States as the world’s largest producer of nuclear power.
According to the report, several factors are driving renewed investment in nuclear energy. International efforts to reduce carbon emissions have increased demand for low-carbon electricity, while rising power consumption from industry, increasingly electrified households and energy-intensive data centres has added pressure on electricity systems. The report also said growing public acceptance of nuclear power has prompted governments and utilities to revisit policies that previously slowed development.
Despite the renewed momentum, BNEF said lengthy regulatory processes are likely to continue limiting the pace of new nuclear projects in several countries.
In the United States, where the Trump administration has expressed strong support for expanding nuclear energy, only one commercial nuclear power plant is currently under construction. BNEF nevertheless expects construction activity to accelerate over the coming decade.
Separately on Wednesday, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) proposed changes to narrow the scope of environmental reviews required under federal law for new reactor licenses and license renewals.
The proposal is part of a broader package of regulatory reforms as President Donald Trump pursues a goal of quadrupling U.S. nuclear generating capacity by 2050 to meet rising electricity demand linked to data centres, electric vehicles and cryptocurrencies.
NRC Chairman Ho Nieh said the agency had historically conducted broader environmental reviews than required under the National Environmental Policy Act.
“For many, many, many years NRC did much more than required by law in the National Environmental Policy Act. So this really brings us back to what NEPA demands, nothing more, nothing less,” Nieh told reporters.
He said the commission plans to exclude environmental impacts that fall outside its regulatory authority, including issues such as dust, noise, air quality and non-radiological effects on water.
The proposed changes would also remove the routine solicitation of public comments on draft environmental impact statements, although the NRC said the public would continue to have opportunities to participate during other stages of the licensing process. In addition, the proposal expands the use of categorical exclusions for certain actions, including some new reactor projects that the agency has determined would not normally result in significant environmental impacts.
Kimyata Savoy, the NRC’s chief environmental review and permitting officer, said the proposed changes are expected to save applicants and the agency approximately US$135 million in licensing costs.
The regulatory proposals follow four executive orders signed by Trump last year directing the NRC to shorten reactor licensing timelines from several years to 18 months, review agency staffing and coordinate with the Energy and Defense Departments on pilot nuclear projects on federal land.
