Glossary
Uprate
An upgrade that raises the maximum power output of an existing power plant, especially a nuclear plant.
An uprate increases how much electricity an existing power plant is allowed to produce, typically by replacing or upgrading equipment such as turbines, pumps, or fuel. For nuclear plants in the United States, uprates require approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Uprates appear in AI news because technology companies are paying to add clean, round-the-clock power for data centers. They can add capacity faster than building new reactors, because they use existing sites, grid connections, and licenses.
An uprate announcement is a plan. Each one still needs engineering work, regulatory approval, and an outage window to install equipment.
Read more: our explainer