--- title: "Nuclear Buildout Accelerates With Goldman Now Including SMRs Into Forecast" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/286495520.md" description: "Goldman's latest report highlights the acceleration of nuclear power buildouts, including small modular reactors (SMRs), amid a looming uranium supply deficit. Key developments include agreements in Canada for large reactor technologies and extended operational approvals for U.S. nuclear plants. The addition of SMRs to Goldman's forecasts predicts a 6% increase in nuclear generation by 2045, raising uranium demand significantly. Analysts warn of a cumulative uranium supply deficit of 2.3 billion pounds by 2045, with prices expected to rise." datetime: "2026-05-15T02:12:20.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/286495520.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286495520.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/286495520.md) --- # Nuclear Buildout Accelerates With Goldman Now Including SMRs Into Forecast Goldman's latest edition of _**"Nuclear Nuggets: Global Reactor Tracker"**_ reinforces that the buildout of the cleanest and most reliable form of so-called "green" energy, nuclear power, continues to gain momentum. The theme we first laid out in December 2020 continues to broaden, with buildouts accelerating across both large-scale and small modular reactors, even as the growing risk of a massive uranium supply deficit emerges. Focusing on the latest North American reactor progress and announcements: > **_4/16/2026 - Canada_** _- Bruce Power has signed an MoU with SaskPower to share its experience in large-scale nuclear reactors, including project development and long-term operations, as Saskatchewan evaluates large reactor technologies alongside its SMR program. The agreement formalizes information-sharing and aligns provincial and federal nuclear strategies._ > > **_4/24/2026 - United States_** _- Duke Energy’s Robinson nuclear power plant has been cleared for extended operation to 80 years, after the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission completed its fastest-ever subsequent license renewal review. The approval allows the 759 MW Robinson Unit 2 in South Carolina to operate until 2050 under new accelerated federal timelines._ > > **_4/29/2026 - United States_** _- The U.S. NRC has approved subsequent license renewals for St. Lucie Units 1 and 2, clearing the Florida Power & Light plant to operate for up to 80 years, with Unit 1 licensed to 2056 and Unit 2 to 2063. The decision follows aging-management reviews for the extended operating period and secures the long-term operation of the two pressurized water reactors._ > > **_5/5/2026 - United States_** _- Brookfield and The Nuclear Company have formed a JV to manage the potential completion of the two VC Summer AP1000 units in South Carolina, supporting due diligence and execution if the project proceeds, subject to approvals and a final investment decision._ One of the biggest shifts in the note penned by analyst Brian Lee is the addition of small modular reactors to Goldman's uranium supply-and-demand model, which forecasts cumulative SMR deployments of nearly 46 GW by 2045. In turn, this would lift its 2045 nuclear generation forecast by about 6% and create an additional 62 million pounds of uranium demand, or a 17% upside to its prior long-term demand estimate. Global reactor construction tracker, by country: Years under construction, by country: Chinese reactors, years under construction: Lee said uranium spot prices stabilized in the mid-to-high $80s per pound after rebounding in April, supported by buying activity in the Sprott Physical Uranium Trust. Term pricing held near $90 per pound, signaling that utilities continue to accept higher long-term pricing deals. As new reactors come online, Lee warns of a cumulative uranium supply deficit of 2.3 billion pounds between 2025 and 2045. Uranium prices will be up and to the right for quite some time... **Latest uranium coverage:** **February 2026** - Big Tech Turns To Uranium As Data Center Power Demand Soars (Feb 18) – Discusses tech companies exploring uranium mining/supply deals for reliable data center power. - No Substitute: Uranium At The Center Of The AI Power Shock (Feb 19) – Covers uranium's role in AI-driven power demand, supply reliability issues, and reactor buildouts. **March 2026** - Oklo And Centrus Signal Progress On America's Nuclear Fuel-Chain Bottleneck (Mar 9) – Joint venture on HALEU deconversion services and fuel-cycle advancements. - Nano Nuclear Progresses HALEU Transport Package (Mar 16) – Progress on high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) transportation for advanced reactors. - How To Transport Next-Gen Nuclear Fuel Safely? NANO Nuclear Hits Key Milestone (Mar 20) – HALEU transport package development for multiple fuel types. - U.S. Must Boost Domestic Uranium Enrichment To Counter Proliferation Risks (Mar 31) – Need for U.S. enrichment capacity expansion amid import bans and market bottlenecks. **April 2026** - Goldman Highlights Global Nuclear Progress Across SMRs And Fuel Chain (Apr 15) – Updates on uranium spot/term pricing, supply-demand models, and fuel chain developments. - Nuclear Fuel Consortium To Provide Update On Approved Plans Of Action (Apr 23) – Progress on addressing shortages across the full nuclear fuel supply chain (mining to fabrication). - Uranium Supply Crunch Worsens Amid Kazakhstan's Plan For Strategic Reserve (Apr 30) – Kazakhstan's strategic reserve plans and ongoing global uranium supply-demand mismatch (~$86/lb spot). **May 2026** - DOE's NNSA Removes Enriched Uranium From Venezuela And Japan (~May 9) – HALEU fuel transfers supporting U.S. domestic nuclear supply chain. - ASP Isotopes Subsidiary Signs MOU With European Nuclear Technology Company For Fuel Supply (~May 11) – Long-term HALEU supply partnership for advanced reactors. - Uranium – Cameco Guidance Hanging by a Thread, Implications for Market Purchases (May 11) – Cameco production guidance and direct impacts on uranium market/spot purchases. - Up To $170 Billion Needed To Secure Full Domestic Nuclear Fuel Supply Chain (~May 13–14) – Massive investment requirements for U.S. uranium mining, milling, conversion, enrichment, etc. _Professional subscribers can read the full nuclear note here at our new Marketdesk.ai portal._ ### Related Stocks - [CCJ.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/CCJ.US.md) - [SMR.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SMR.US.md) - [URNJ.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/URNJ.US.md) - [NLR.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/NLR.US.md) - [URNM.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/URNM.US.md) - [URA.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/URA.US.md) - [GS.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/GS.US.md) - [DUK.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/DUK.US.md) - [BN.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BN.US.md) - [BAM.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BAM.US.md) - [OKLO.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/OKLO.US.md) - [LEU.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/LEU.US.md) - [NNE.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/NNE.US.md) - [ASPI.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/ASPI.US.md) - [W4VR.SG](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/W4VR.SG.md) - [DUK-A.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/DUK-A.US.md) - [DUKB.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/DUKB.US.md) ## Related News & Research - [Cameco and NuScale seen as top picks in US nuclear push](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286755754.md) - [Prediction: NuScale Power stock is a buy before 2027 due to this $1.75 trillion opportunity](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286646853.md) - [If You Invested $100 In VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF Stock 5 Years Ago, You Would Have This Much Today](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286590528.md) - [Cameco Ties Nuclear Capacity Pledge To Westinghouse And Reactor Growth](https://longbridge.com/en/news/285920912.md) - [The Texas-size fight over Rick Perry’s nuclear power startup](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286641646.md)