In the latest outlook data released by the International Atomic Energy Agency in October 2026, global nuclear power development expectations have been significantly raised again. By 2060, the global nuclear power installed capacity is expected to reach more than three times the current level. The stable demand for carbon free electricity driven by the explosion of AI computing power is becoming the core new driving force for this round of nuclear power expansion.

Global nuclear power development expectations continue to rise

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Grossi, publicly stated at the latest industry conference in 2026 that the long-term growth path of global nuclear power has been clearly elevated, and the scale of nuclear power is expected to reach more than three times the current level by 2060. This is also the sixth consecutive year that the agency has raised its global nuclear power development expectations. Previously, a forecast report released by institutions showed that in the low value scenario, the global nuclear power installed capacity will reach 696 gigawatts by 2060, an increase of over 80% from 377 gigawatts at the end of 2025. In the high value scenario, the installed capacity will directly increase to 1284 gigawatts, which is more than three times the current installed capacity.

Global terminal energy consumption is expected to increase by about 20% compared to 2025 by 2060, with the proportion of electricity in terminal energy rising from 20.6% to 37.2%. The overall power generation will double, with nuclear power accounting for 7.2% of global power generation in the low value scenario and 13.2% in the high value scenario. Multilateral financial institutions such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have reopened nuclear energy financing channels, and the global investment environment for nuclear power continues to improve. In 2026, the European Union announced an investment of 241 billion euros to build new nuclear power units and extend the service life of existing units before 2050. The United States has also launched a total of 17.5 billion US dollars in conditional loans to support the construction of 10 large reactors before 2030.

AI computing power drives new demand growth

The core driving force behind this round of nuclear power expansion, in addition to the traditional electrification process and energy security demands, is the explosive demand for electricity in artificial intelligence data centers, which is becoming a new growth pole. The rigid demand for 24-hour uninterrupted and stable carbon free electricity from leading global technology companies is directly driving the pace of nuclear power projects. According to the data of domestic computing power consumption in July 2026, the proportion of computing power load in Changshu, Jiangsu has reached 4.1%. The computing power industry has replaced air conditioning as the main force of local electricity growth. The power procurement of AI factories and super large data centers worldwide has begun to directly lock in stable zero carbon power sources such as nuclear power. Keywords: nuclear power installed capacity, nuclear power energy

More and more countries have made nuclear television a core option to enhance energy security. In the current context of intermittent fluctuations in new energy, the stable and carbon free electricity provided by nuclear power is becoming the core energy base to support the expansion of the global digital economy and high-end manufacturing industry. From traditional energy security demands to rigid support of AI computing power, nuclear power is finding a new core positioning in the global new round of energy transformation.Editor/Cheng Liting