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Driven by AI demand, China on track to pass US as top nuclear energy producer

China is expected to overtake the United States as the world’s nuclear power leader, as the AI boom and war in the Middle East renew…

By Samantha Johnson / June 9, 2026
China is expected to overtake the United States as the world’s nuclear power leader, as the AI boom and war in the Middle East renew a global push for reliable energy sources, according to a new report.

While the US maintained the world’s largest operational fleet of nuclear reactors, China now accounted for nearly half of all those under construction globally and was expected to match American capacity within five years, Gavekal Technologies said on Monday.

“By a wide margin, China will have the world’s most dynamic and significant nuclear industry through 2035,” Damien Ma, the firm’s new energy lead analyst, wrote in the report.

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Surging electricity demand from the AI sector, combined with disruptions to global energy markets caused by the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has renewed international focus on energy security. Nuclear power, a carbon-free and reliable energy source, is increasingly seen as part of the solution.

Beijing has identified nuclear power as a crucial energy source in its latest five-year plan, targeting 110 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity by 2030. By April, China had 36 new reactors under construction, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

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By contrast, the US was seeking to maintain its dominance in the industry after decades of stagnant growth, with only three new reactors coming online since 1996, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

US President Donald Trump has set a target of quadrupling American nuclear capacity to 400GW by 2050, signing several executive orders last year aimed at cutting red tape and speeding up the approval process for new projects.

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