Private capital supports reliability, affordability, and new nuclear capacity as electricity demand accelerates.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | January 9, 2026
CONTACT: Christina Nyquist | 603.930.8818 | cnyquist@epsa.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA), the national trade association representing independent power producers, today applauded a major announcement from Meta and EPSA member company Vistra Corp. to support more than 2,600 megawatts (MW) of nuclear energy in the PJM Interconnection through long-term, market-based power purchase agreements.
The agreements include more than 2,100 MW of existing capacity and are enabling approximately 433 MW of increased nuclear output through uprates at existing facilities in Ohio and Pennsylvania—nearly equivalent to a new nuclear plant—delivered more quickly than a new build at private investor risk without shifting costs onto customers who have no choice.
Importantly, the agreements provide certainty for Vistra to pursue subsequent license renewal for each of the reactors, which would extend each license an additional 20 years – making them operational into the 2050s and 2060s.
This announcement is another proof point that competitive markets and the independent power producers that provide essential power generation are delivering on the Trump Administration’s priorities to win the race on AI development, while providing affordable electricity to families and businesses, and jobs for Americans.
EPSA President and CEO released the following statement in response to the announcement:
“This announcement is exactly the kind of response policymakers have been asking for—and the competitive power sector is delivering. These investments add new megawatts to the system, strengthen reliability, and do so without burdening captive customers with additional non-bypassable charges that only drive up electric bills. Made with private capital rather than guaranteed cost recovery, this investment shows that even amid market uncertainty, competitive markets shield consumers from risk and deliver durable, real-world solutions. With electricity demand rising for the first time in decades, now would be exactly the wrong time to abandon competitive markets. Competitive power markets remain one of the most effective tools we have to deliver reliable, affordable, and innovative energy solutions—and market signals must be given time to work without being stifled or suppressed.”
The agreements provide long-term certainty that will allow critical nuclear plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania to remain operational for decades, reversing a trajectory toward early retirement and ensuring these facilities continue delivering reliable power to the grid.
As recently as a few years ago—before Vistra acquired these facilities—several of the plants were headed toward closure. Today, long-term market commitments position them to remain online, expand output, and continue delivering essential baseload generation to the PJM grid and surrounding communities for decades to come.
Beyond reliability benefits, Vistra’s nuclear fleet supports thousands of permanent, high-quality jobs and contributes tens of millions of dollars annually in state and local taxes. The uprate projects are expected to create nearly 3,000 additional jobs over the next nine years, further strengthening local economies.
The Meta–Vistra announcement adds to a growing body of evidence that competitive power markets are responding to rising demand. EPSA members have announced more than 12,000 MW of new generation and capacity additions in PJM since 2024, including new builds, uprates, and restarts—investments made at investor risk to support reliability and affordability. (See list of over 12,000 MW in new projects and capacity additions announced in the PJM footprint since 2024.)
- Last November, Constellation proposed investing in up to 5,800 megawatts of power generation and battery storage projects in Maryland to help lower electricity bills and meet the state’s rising demand. Constellation’s announcement comes as it works to restart operations at the Crane Clean Energy Center in Pennsylvania.
- In Texas, Calpine announced that it had expanded its agreement to provide an additional 210 megawatts to datacenter developer CyrusOne.
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The Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA) is the national trade association representing America’s competitive power suppliers. EPSA members provide more than 205,000 MW of reliable and competitively priced electricity from environmentally responsible facilities using a diverse mix of fuels and technologies including natural gas, wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal, storage, biomass, and coal. EPSA seeks to bring the benefits of competition to all power customers. Learn more at www.epsa.org and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter @EPSAnews.
