Great superpower play

Get yourself back To 2017. Get out and Water shape They were playing in theatres, Zahran Mamdani He was still known as the rapper Young Cardamom, and Trump The US administration, which had recently come to power, was keen to support its preferred energy sources.

That year, the administration provided a series of subsidies to coal-fired and nuclear power plants, which were facing increasing price pressures from gas and cheap renewables. The plan would have put taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars. It didn’t work.

In subsequent years, the nuclear industry continued to face roadblocks. Three nuclear plants have been closed since 2020, while construction of two of the only four reactors started since 2000 has been suspended after a decade and billions of dollars in the wake of the energy crisis. Political scandal. Meanwhile, coal continued its long decline It makes up only 17% of the energy mix in the United StatesA decrease from 45 percent recorded in 2010.

Now, both of these energy sources are getting a second chance. The difference this time is the surrounding hype Amnesty InternationalBut it’s not clear that the outcome would be much different.

Throughout 2025, the Trump administration has not only promoted nuclear power, but specifically positioned it as a solution to AI’s energy needs. In May, the president signed a series of executive orders aimed at boosting nuclear power in the United States, including ordering the construction of 10 new large reactors by 2030. A pilot program at the Energy Department created as a result of May’s executive orders — coupled with a serious reshaping of the nation’s nuclear regulatory body — has led to inroads from smaller startups. Energy Secretary Chris Wright He said In September, he declared that the progress of artificial intelligence “will be accelerated by the rapid launch and deployment of commercial nuclear power.”

Management’s efforts are reflected through investments in technology companies. Giant companies such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have signed many deals in recent years with nuclear companies to operate data centers. Microsoft even join World Nuclear Association. Restarting several retired reactors in the United States — including two of the three reactors that have been shut down in the past five years — is being considered with the technology industry. Support some of these arrangements. (This includes Microsoft’s high-profile reboot of the infamous Three Mile Island, which is also… It is supported With a $1 billion loan from the federal government.) It’s a good time for both the private and public sectors to push nuclear power: Public support for nuclear energy It is the highest since 2010.

Despite everything However, the practicalities of nuclear energy leave its future in doubt. Most of the costs of nuclear energy come not from cumbersome regulations, but from… building. Critics are Beware of juice reviews For small modular reactor companies, especially those with deep connections to the Trump administration. The government’s $80 billion deal with nuclear reactor giant Westinghouse in October is short on details, leaving more questions than answers for the industry. Despite high-profile technology deals that promise to have the reactors up and running within a few years, timelines remain challenging.