Take yourself back until 2017. Get off AND The shape of water were playing in cinemas, Zohran Mamdani was still known as the rapper Juvenile Cardamom, and the newly in power Trump administration was eager to support its favorite energy sources.
In the following years, the nuclear industry faced increasing obstacles. Three nuclear power plants have been closed since 2020, while construction on two of the only four reactors started since 2000 has been suspended after ten years, costing billions of dollars. political scandal. Meanwhile, coal continued its long decline: It it accounts for just 17 percent of the U.S. energy mixcompared to a high of 45 percent in 2010.
Now both of these energy sources are getting a second chance. The difference this time is the hype around AI, but it’s unclear whether the outcome will be significantly different.
The administration’s pressures are reflected in investments by technology companies. Giants such as Google, Amazon and Microsoft have signed numerous contracts with nuclear companies in recent years to power their data centers; Even Microsoft joined World Nuclear Association. Many decommissioned reactors in the U.S. are being considered for restarting – including two of three that have been closed in the last five years – in cooperation with the technology industry supporting some of these arrangements. (This includes Microsoft’s high-profile reboot of the infamous Three Mile Island, which is also be supported through a $1 billion loan from the federal government). This is a good time for both the private and public sectors to promote nuclear energy: public support for nuclear energy is the highest since 2010.
Despite everyone therefore, the practical aspects of nuclear energy leave its future in question. Most of the costs of nuclear energy come not from burdensome regulations, but from construction. There are critics beware of inflated valuations for miniature modular reactor companies, especially those with deep ties to the Trump administration. The government’s $80 billion deal with reactor giant Westinghouse in October lacks detail and leaves the industry with more questions than answers. And despite high-profile technology deals that promise to have the reactors up and running within a few years, the timeline remains challenging.