Public Policy & Engagement

Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker issued a new executive order (EO) on February 18 directing both the Illinois Power Agency and the Illinois Commerce Commission to issue a notice of intent (NOI) to potential developers of new nuclear power plants.

The signing of that EO took place on the same day Pritzker delivered his 2026 State of the State address, in which he set a goal of building at least 2 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity in the state.

Sens. Jim Risch (R., Idaho) and Ruben Gallego (D., Ariz.) reintroduced the Accelerating Reliable Capacity (ARC) Act in the Senate on February 10.

According to the Department of Energy, it could take up to 10 deployments for a reactor design to become a mature commercial reactor. Getting from the first-of-a-kind (FOAK) to full commercial deployment is challenging, and the risks of higher costs and longer deployment timelines for early nuclear projects create significant uncertainty for investors. The ARC Act is designed to reduce that early deployment risk.

Nuclear is enjoying a bit of a resurgence. The momentum for reliable energy to support economic development around the country—specifically data centers and AI—remains strong, and strongly in favor of nuclear. And as feature coverage on the states in the January 2026 issue of Nuclear News made abundantly clear, many states now see nuclear as necessary to support rising electricity demand while maintaining a reliable grid and reaching decarbonization goals.