Congress·In Committee·S. 3814

ARC Act of 2026

Senate Bill Would Backstop Advanced Nuclear Plant Cost Overruns With $3.6B Federal Program

Feb 10·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

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This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.

Reintroduced
Reintroduced from S. 5421 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
S. 5421 (118th) →

Key Points

This bill creates a new $3.6 billion program within the Department of Energy to help build advanced nuclear power plants. It aims to make these expensive projects less risky for companies by providing extra financial support if construction costs end up being much higher than expected.
If a project's costs go over the original budget by more than 20%, the government could step in to pay for some of the extra expenses. The government would cover up to $1.2 billion per project to ensure the power plant actually gets finished and starts providing electricity to the grid.
To qualify for this help, companies must follow strict rules, including sharing detailed construction plans and meeting with government officials every three months to report on their progress. This oversight is meant to keep projects on track and prevent wasteful spending.
The bill also allows the government to guarantee loans that are twice as large as the original cost estimate. This gives builders more breathing room to handle the high upfront costs of building modern nuclear technology.
By reducing the financial risk, the policy hopes to speed up the transition to reliable, carbon-free energy. It also makes it easier for military bases and certain public utility companies to partner on these new nuclear projects.

Energy EnvironmentEconomy FinanceNational Security Foreign Policy

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works

The bill creates a new Accelerating Reliable Capacity Program Account within the Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office, along with a new working group and quarterly oversight meetings. DOE staff — particularly in the Loan Programs Office — would take on significant new responsibilities for reviewing project delivery plans, approving cost estimates, and conducting enhanced oversight of qualifying nuclear projects.

ImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

State Impacts

StateScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Feb 10, 2026Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Feb 10, 2026

Introduced in Senate

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

Related News

3 articles

Politico·Feb 10

Bipartisan duo to introduce federal backstop for nuclear reactors

Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) introduced the ARC Act of 2026 to provide $3.6 billion in federal backing for over-budget nuclear reactors, aiming to mitigate financial risks for next-generation projects and maintain U.S. leadership in the global energy market.

Center

Public Power Current·Feb 12

Legislation Tied to New Nuclear Power Includes Language that Impacts Public Power

The ARC Act of 2026 authorizes $3.6 billion for a new DOE program providing cost overrun protection. The government would cover 50% of expenses exceeding 120% of the original budget, capped at $1.2 billion per project, while requiring strict quarterly progress reporting from developers.

Center

Construction Briefing·Feb 13

US construction gears up for more nuclear power plant projects

As the U.S. aims to build $80 billion in new nuclear capacity, the recently introduced ARC Act of 2026 provides a $3.6 billion safety net for developers. The bill's cost-sharing framework is seen as a vital tool for contractors facing the high financial uncertainty of first-of-a-kind reactors.

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

ARC Act of 2026

Bill NumberS 3814

Congress119th Congress

ChamberSenate

Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(1)

D: 1

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.