UN nuclear agency chief says nuclear power use could more than triple by 2060

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said on Friday, October 23, 2026, that he expects global use of nuclear power could more than triple by 2060. In the agency's annual report to the UN General Assembly, Grossi said the growth would be driven by electrification, data centres powered by artificial intelligence and technology companies' demand for reliable, carbon-free power. He said a growing number of countries see nuclear energy as key to energy security, and he described it as on par with solar energy and safer than every other option. Grossi said that in 2025 more than 400 operating reactors in more than 30 countries produced 10% of global electricity and a quarter of its low-carbon electricity, and that more than 60 new reactors are under construction. He said projections for future nuclear capacity have shifted sharply upward. Grossi also addressed the nuclear programmes in Iran and North Korea, threats to nuclear safety from the war in Ukraine, and reports that other, unnamed countries are talking about acquiring nuclear weapons.

Left-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while alternative/independent and right-leaning outlets had. Newsmax, on the right, carries the same headline and opening lines as the wire report: Grossi's Friday forecast and the annual report to the General Assembly. The portion available gives no further detail. The Hindu and AP, the alternative/independent sources, run the same headline and lede. The Hindu's longer text adds the reactor counts, Grossi's safety and solar comparison, and his remarks on Iran, North Korea, Ukraine and possible weapons ambitions. No source in the set disputes or challenges Grossi's forecast, so the difference is in how much detail is available, not in framing.