The U.S. Energy Department plans to offer $17.5B in low-interest loans for utilities to order Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear reactors, per WSJ. The loans are aimed at accelerating 10 large U.S. reactors across five projects, with two reactors each. Seven utilities have reportedly signed letters of intent, though DOE did not name them. Westinghouse says new AP1000s could begin coming online in 2035. Each reactor produces about 1,100 MW, enough for a midsize city or major AI data center. The push comes as AI-driven power demand revives nuclear interest, but AP1000 has a difficult U.S. history: Vogtle’s two units exceeded $30B in cost vs. an original ~$14B estimate and came online years late.