Constellation Energy Secures $5 Billion DOE Loan Commitment for Nuclear Capacity Expansion

Constellation Energy has secured a conditional loan commitment of up to $5 billion from the U.S. Department of Energy to expand nuclear output at eight existing facilities in Illinois, Maryland and Pennsylvania, supporting reactor upgrades that could add nearly 1.1 gigawatts of generating capacity. The financing would cover potential upgrades at six Illinois plants—Braidwood, Byron, Clinton, Dresden, LaSalle and Quad Cities—plus Calvert Cliffs in Maryland and Limerick in Pennsylvania, serving the PJM Interconnection and MISO grids. The commitment falls under the DOE's UPRISE initiative launched in March 2026, following a separate $4.2 billion commitment for Vistra; together the two total up to $9.2 billion in proposed federal nuclear financing. Constellation has already committed billions to uprates, backed by 20-year agreements with Google (890 MW, over $4.3 billion), Amazon (190 MW at Calvert Cliffs) and Meta (30 MW at Clinton). The $5 billion commitment remains subject to due diligence, final financing agreements and other conditions, and Constellation has not made final investment decisions on every potential upgrade.