Press Releases
03/31/2026
New England Governors Announce Commitment To Explore Advanced Nuclear Energy
Bipartisan Group of Governors Direct State Energy Agencies To Explore Advanced Nuclear Energy Technologies, Support Continued Operation of the Region’s Existing Nuclear Resources
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the governors of all six New England states have issued a joint statement outlining their regional commitment to exploring advanced nuclear energy technologies while continuing to support the safe, affordable, and reliable operation of the region’s existing nuclear facilities.
The governors signing onto the joint statement include Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut, Governor Janet Mills of Maine, Governor Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Governor Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Governor Dan McKee of Rhode Island, and Governor Phil Scott of Vermont.
“Adequate electricity supply is critical to growing our economies, preserving public health and safety, powering our homes and businesses, and stabilizing consumer prices as demand for electricity rises across the region,” the New England governors affirm in the joint statement. “New England has a long tradition of collaborating on regional energy matters. As governors, we are committed to safeguarding our collective energy future through advancement of a diverse energy strategy that includes nuclear power, a pillar of New England’s electric system.”
The statement outlines two key next steps. First, the governors are directing their respective state energy offices to explore opportunities to ensure the continued safe, affordable, and reliable operation of the region’s existing nuclear generation facilities in coordination with ISO New England, the facilities’ owners, federal agencies, and other state and regional stakeholders.
Second, the governors are directing state energy agencies to take steps to explore deployment of advanced nuclear generation in states and communities that express a willingness to host such resources. This includes exploring innovative financing structures, federal funding and financial support opportunities, public-private partnerships, and regulatory designs for advanced nuclear energy that will protect consumers, help meet the region’s energy needs, and enable New England to capture job growth and economic development opportunities from the deployment of new nuclear technologies with advanced safety systems.
The governors are reiterating their commitment to ensuring local voices shape decision-making from the outset, including community-led approaches to explore appropriate, responsible locations for new nuclear development.
“These initiatives will complement our states’ other efforts to secure a safe, affordable and reliable electricity grid for the 21st century,” the governors’ joint statement says. “By ensuring both the continued operation of our existing nuclear fleet and setting our region on a path to explore next generation resources, including advanced nuclear energy technologies, the New England states will continue our leadership in grid modernization and energy innovation as we jointly work to meet the region’s current and future energy needs.”
Electricity consumption in New England is expected to increase more than 40% over the next 20 years, according to ISO New England. Demand for electricity in the winter is expected to grow fastest. ISO New England’s latest forecast shows that winter peak demand is projected to double by 2045.
Connecticut boasts a large, educated, and experienced nuclear workforce as home of the Millstone Nuclear Power Station, the U.S. Navy Submarine base safely operating nuclear powered vessels, and Electric Boat, which is leading the modular construction of advanced nuclear submarines. Recognizing the benefits of clean firm nuclear power to Connecticut and the region, Connecticut has existing contracts to purchase energy from Millstone and New Hampshire’s Seabrook Station, which has helped ensure the facilities remain operational while providing hundreds of millions of dollars in affordability benefits to Connecticut ratepayers to date.
In 2025, Governor Lamont and the Connecticut General Assembly further cemented Connecticut’s nuclear leadership by enacting Public Act 25-173, which creates a clear, community-driven pathway for advanced nuclear energy development. The law empowers municipalities to “opt in” to hosting advanced nuclear facilities through local approval, while also reaffirming the potential for new advanced nuclear generation at the Millstone site. It also directs the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to establish an Advanced Nuclear Reactor Site Readiness Funding Program, backed by $5 million in bond authorizations, to support early planning, technical analysis, and community engagement.
Building on this momentum, DEEP launched a statewide public engagement effort in December 2025 to inform community leaders and residents, gather input, and shape design of the program, which DEEP plans to launch later this year. The agency has already convened two public workshops with additional sessions planned for spring 2026, underscoring Connecticut’s commitment to transparency, local decision-making, and leadership in exploring next-generation reliable, carbon-free.
The full text of the joint statement signed by all six New England governors is as follows:
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Advancing Nuclear Energy for a 21stCentury New England Electricity Grid March 31, 2026 Adequate electricity supply is critical to growing our economies, preserving public health and safety, powering our homes and businesses, and stabilizing consumer prices as demand for electricity rises across the region. New England has a long tradition of collaborating on regional energy matters. As governors, we are committed to safeguarding our collective energy future through advancement of a diverse energy strategy that includes nuclear power, a pillar of New England’s electric system. For decades, our region has safely and reliably generated nuclear power, which currently meets a quarter of the region’s electricity needs. New England acts as a hub for nuclear energy advancement, in both fission and fusion technologies, through university research and private sector investment, and proudly contributes to national defense by hosting the nation’s nuclear submarine fleet. As advancements in nuclear technologies become available, we are committed to leveraging and building on this leadership to meet our region’s growing energy needs. According to ISO New England, electricity consumption in New England is expected to increase more than 40% over the next 20 years. Demand for electricity in the winter is expected to grow the fastest. ISO New England’s latest forecast shows that winter peak demand is projected to double by 2045. We must work together to meet this growing demand through an approach that ensures we have the resources needed to fuel our economies and protect our citizens. As we look to expand the region’s generation capacity, advanced nuclear technologies show promise in their ability to contribute safely and reliably to the resource mix. Such advanced nuclear generation, including new designs with improved efficiency, safety, and operational flexibility, could contribute to meeting our region’s need for new affordable and dependable energy supply, help address longstanding winter reliability challenges by enhancing fuel security, and contribute to meeting electrification and decarbonization goals and requirements for the states that have them. We recognize that developing new nuclear generation involves unique considerations and will require significant planning, investment, and community input. We also recognize that each state may have different appetites for hosting advanced nuclear facilities and that community buy-in for hosting such facilities is critical. To address these needs and ensure a stronger and more resilient energy future for New England, we direct the following:
Underpinning this effort is a commitment to ensuring local voices shape decision-making from the outset, including community-led approaches to explore appropriate, responsible locations for new nuclear development; fostering public trust and support through meaningful dialogue; and paying careful attention to concerns surrounding the safety, security, siting, disposition of nuclear generation waste, and costs associated with deploying new nuclear technologies. This will ensure that the decision of whether and where to site new nuclear facilities is made by individual states with their local communities. These initiatives will complement our states’ other efforts to secure a safe, affordable, and reliable electricity grid for the 21stcentury. By ensuring both the continued operation of our existing nuclear fleet and setting our region on a path to explore next generation resources, including advanced nuclear energy technologies, the New England states will continue our leadership in grid modernization and energy innovation as we jointly work to meet the region’s current and future energy needs. Ned Lamont Janet Mills Maura Healey Kelly Ayotte Dan McKee Phil Scott |
**Download: Joint statement from the New England governors on advanced nuclear energy
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