Greg Rothman: Pennsylvania’s nuclear revival is powering America’s future

Pennsylvania helped power America’s past and now, we’re leading the charge into its energy future. For decades, we’ve fueled everything from steel production to high-tech manufacturing. And with the revival of nuclear energy in the Commonwealth, we’re not just keeping the lights on, we’re turning on the afterburners.

The U.S. Congress just secured America’s energy future by passing President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” This legislation protects the nuclear production tax credit, an essential tool for keeping energy prices stable, driving investment, and restoring America’s industrial might. 

You don’t need to look far to see why that matters.

Earlier this year, Microsoft inked a 20-year deal to power its AI data centers with energy from Pennsylvania’s newly renamed Crane Clean Energy Center — what many of us still remember as Three Mile Island Unit 1. Just weeks later, Amazon announced plans for two nuclear-powered data centers backed by a $20 billion investment. The nuclear tax credit is what has made many of these investments in the Pennsylvania economy possible.

Here in the Keystone State, nuclear isn’t theory, it’s practice. We’re America’s second-largest nuclear energy producer, providing nearly ten percent of the nation’s total nuclear output and a full third of our own electricity. Four nuclear facilities support more than 500 companies and employ 16,000 Pennsylvanians in good-paying, family-supporting jobs. That’s a $5 billion economic engine turning every single year.

And now, Three Mile Island is restarting a project expected to generate over 3,400 jobs, pump $16 billion into the economy, and bring in $3 billion in state and federal tax revenue. Those dollars mean better schools, stronger communities, and a more competitive Pennsylvania.

For years, Washington tilted the playing field. Wind and solar got subsidies no matter how often the sun shone or the wind blew. But nuclear — stable, clean, and always-on — was forced to fight with one hand tied behind its back.

Thanks to strong Republican leadership, that’s been corrected. The nuclear production tax credit helps level the field and recognizes nuclear energy for what it is: reliable, carbon-free, and essential to national security. With energy demand from AI and next-gen manufacturing soaring, we cannot afford to leave nuclear behind.

As data centers, AI, and advanced manufacturing rapidly increase energy demand, nuclear’s role will only become more vital. If Congress fails to preserve the nuclear PTC, we risk falling behind at the very moment we need to surge ahead.

Here in Pennsylvania, we’re proud to support a vision for energy that’s rooted in reality, not ideology. Pennsylvania powered America once before, and we’re ready to do it again. With the right policies in place, including a strong commitment to our nuclear workforce and infrastructure, we’ll continue to lead.

Thank you, Congress, for protecting the nuclear tax credit by passing the reconciliation bill. The legislation will unleash Pennsylvania’s full potential as a nuclear energy powerhouse.

Greg Rothman is a Pennsylvania State Senator and the Chair of the Pennsylvania GOP