The U.S. could be on the precipice of a nuclear power resurgence as the rise in AI and electrification of everything add significant stress to an aging grid. At the same time, utilities are retiring coal plants that we have relied on for nearly a century. To securely meet America’s unprecedented demand for energy, it’s clear that more reliable, alternative energy sources, like nuclear, are needed.
Policymakers seem to agree and the American public does too—nuclear energy is at its highest level of public support in a decade. Yet, as we face this complex set of factors, most players in the nuclear power sector are purely focused on designing the next reactor, rather than addressing the delays and cost structures that have hindered our nuclear infrastructure for a generation.
