Indiana is studying a 6 GW nuclear campus. On October 19, 2026, AtkinsRéalis, the State of Indiana and the electric cooperative Hoosier Energy signed a memorandum of understanding to evaluate the development of up to eight CANDU reactors to supply baseload electricity.
The agreement marks an initial evaluation phase. The partners will analyze potential sites, financing options, power purchase agreements and grid requirements. Among the options is the conversion of retired or soon-to-be-retired fossil fuel plants, reusing existing infrastructure. The project could also include smaller gas-fired units to deliver power to the grid before the nuclear capacity comes online. AtkinsRéalis also points to a fleet-based approach, with standardized construction, domestic supply chains and a skilled workforce.
Hoosier Energy is a not-for-profit cooperative serving more than 700,000 consumers across Indiana and Illinois. The involvement of a local utility is significant, as it brings first-hand knowledge of demand and the grid to the project.
The driver is demand. Data centers, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and electrification are pushing up electricity consumption across the United States, and the state is looking for stable capacity to meet it. CANDU technology has about six decades of operating experience, nearly 1,000 reactor-years of operation and 34 units built on four continents. It runs on natural uranium and can accommodate alternative fuels. For the United States, that means less reliance on foreign enrichment services, a point already highlighted by Joe St Julian, president of AtkinsRéalis’ nuclear division.
The agreement fits into a series of moves by the Canadian company in the North American market. In June 2026 it submitted a letter of intent to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to begin licensing the CANDU in the United States. Following the first public meeting with the NRC in August, it delivered the first of seven planned technical reports. Earlier, it had signed an alliance with First American Nuclear covering engineering, procurement and construction management for the EAGL 1 SMRs.
The picture remains preliminary. No construction schedule, final site or overall investment figure has been disclosed, and every decision will depend on permits, environmental assessments and transmission planning. At a 90% capacity factor, eight units totaling 6 GW would generate roughly 47 TWh per year. If the study is positive, Indiana could become the first U.S. state to host a CANDU fleet, with retired coal plants as the starting point.
