Minnesota lawmakers agree to study possibility of building new nuclear plants

[Marlin]

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/05/26/minnesota-lawmakers-agree-to-study-possibility-of-building-new-nuclear-plants

[News Wire]

Minnesota lawmakers approved $500,000 in funding for a study to evaluate the feasibility of constructing new nuclear power plants. The Minnesota Department of Commerce will contract with the Great Plains Institute to complete the report by January 30, examining costs, regulatory requirements, waste management, and potential impacts on the state workforce.

The study represents a potential shift in policy regarding the state's 32-year-old moratorium on new nuclear facilities. As utilities transition away from coal, supporters view nuclear power as a necessary carbon-free resource to meet rising electricity demand. The findings will inform future legislative debates on whether to lift the ban and allow new reactor development.

Supporters hope it's the first step toward lifting the state's 32-year-old moratorium on new nuclear plants in the state. They say Minnesota needs nuclear energy to help meet its goal of carbon-free electricity.

Advocates for nuclear energy achieved a victory at the end of the legislative session when state lawmakers approved funding to study the possibility of building new nuclear plants in Minnesota.

A coalition of utilities, counties, clean energy groups and labor unions pushed the Legislature to fund the study, hoping it will be the first step toward lifting the state's 32-year-old moratorium on new nuclear plants in the state.

Read the full article at MPR News:
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/05/26/minnesota-lawmakers-agree-to-study-possibility-of-building-new-nuclear-plants