Nuclear Energy Stocks Soar as Prices Jump Ninefold on Largest US Power Grid

Shares of atomic power stocks soared Wednesday aft nan largest electrical grid usability successful nan U.S. said prices astatine its powerfulness marketplace auction accrued ninefold year-over-year.

PJM Interconnection, a location transmission statement (RTO) that operates nan electrical grid crossed 13 states successful nan Northeast, said Tuesday that 2025-2026 prices for powerfulness plants were astatine $262.92 per megawatt-day, compared to $28.92 a twelvemonth ago. Just complete a 5th of nan power operation will travel from atomic energy. 

Constellation Energy (CEG), which operates nan largest postulation of atomic plants successful nan country, saw its shares jump much than 12% Wednesday pursuing nan news, while shares of rival Vistra (VST) roseate astir 15%.

With Wednesday's gains, shares of Constellation person surged much than 62% since nan commencement of nan year, while Vistra shares person doubled complete nan aforesaid period. Both companies are expected to study second-quarter net results adjacent week.

Data Centers Help Drive Up Electricity Demand

The emergence successful prices comes arsenic plants discontinue and request for energy surges, successful portion acknowledgment to information centers to support artificial intelligence (AI).

Yesterday, chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) reported information halfway gross much than doubled to a quarterly grounds high arsenic request surged for chips to powerfulness information centers supporting AI. 

The International Energy Agency (IEA) projected earlier this twelvemonth that energy depletion from information centers, AI, and nan cryptocurrency assemblage could double by 2026.