The Bonneville Power Administration is starting a new pilot program to decrease balancing reserve capacity requirements by connecting new generation facilities to the grid.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is calling for a “Nuclear Reliability Backbone” of more than 8 GW as part of an all-of-the-above energy solution, which was among the more than 200 initiatives she floated as part of her State of the State Address.

The agreements cover a combination of existing nuclear plants and advanced reactors still in development.

At an oversight hearing on new nuclear capacity, the two parties touted recent bipartisan legislation as helping move things forward, but Democrats said Trump administration cuts and moves to curb the NRC's independence creates crosswinds.

IESO's latest Reliability Outlook reduces its 2026 demand growth projection slightly, citing “international trade tensions.”

Commercial nuclear energy in the U.S. begins 2026 with strong momentum toward future expansion, but it will be years before new-build capacity comes online and possibly a decade or more before a significant amount of new gigawatts is added to the grid.

NYPA and OPG will share information, resources and institutional knowledge to support the economic, technology and workforce initiatives needed for advanced nuclear development on both sides of the border.

IESO says record-high clearing prices in its capacity auction will have little impact on ratepayers because the ISO's medium- and long-term procurements play a larger role in the region’s resource adequacy.