New York Governor Kathy Hochul is appealing to the White House for help fast-tracking a plan to build a nuclear reactor in the state.
Hochul announced in June a goal of adding at least 1 gigawatt of nuclear capacity, and she’s been in contact with President Donald Trump about accelerating the federal approval process, she said in an interview with Bloomberg TV Wednesday. The federal approval process currently could require as much as seven years, Hochul said.
New York is racing to meet booming demand for electricity, especially from data centers needed for artificial intelligence, and there’s strong interest in meeting that growth with nuclear power. However, those goals face numerous challenges, including a long and complicated regulatory process and wary investors that have seen recent projects balloon in cost. Hochul expects Trump to address some of those concerns.
“I said, ‘I’ll look at my streamline processes and you streamline yours and lets get this done sooner’,” Hochul said. “Find a faster way get me nuclear, too, Mr. President.”
The White House didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry about Hochul’s request.