President Obama has announced more than $8bn of federal loan guarantees to help build the first new nuclear power stations in the US for 30 years.
Two new plants are to be constructed in the state of Georgia by US electricity firm Southern Company. President Obama said the plants would be "safe and clean" and were needed to meet the country's future energy needs.
There have been no new nuclear power plants built in the US since the 1979 accident at Three Mile Island.