2026-10-07 · contested story

Nuclear power tops energy priorities in new state plan

A wave of state and federal governments are elevating nuclear power to the top of their energy agendas, driven by surging electricity demand from AI data centers, carbon-reduction goals, and grid-reliability concerns. Missouri released a 2026 energy plan built around 'nuclear enablement' (Yahoo/FOX 2), Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds launched a nuclear task force calling nuclear 'vital' (Iowa Capital Dispatch), New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte directed her energy department to foster 'the next generation of nuclear power' (Boston Globe), and the Trump administration's Energy Department selected five Republican-led states as finalists for Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses (The Center Square). Notably, Democratic governors — Hochul (NY), Sherrill (NJ), Pritzker (IL), Whitmer (MI) — are also embracing nuclear, making this a rare area of bipartisan convergence (E&E News).

How each side frames it

left
"Vogtle barely limped across the finish line, over budget and behind schedule. This was the critical inflection point"
"New reactors like Hermes also carry risks -- radioactive leaks, where to put the waste."
"Renewable energy sources and efficiency measures could readily replace power from Diablo Canyon. Keeping the aging nuclear plant open would be a big mistake."
"Viewed strictly through the lens of climate change, nuclear power can claim to be a green dream."
"Ayotte also directed the state's Department of Energy to foster “the next generation of nuclear power” in New Hampshire."
center
"Driven by soaring demand from artificial intelligence and data centers for reliable, carbon-free baseload power, the Trump administration initiative focuses on placing nuclear facilities near tech hubs."
"Democratic governors seldom see eye to eye with President Donald Trump when it comes to energy policy. A notable exception: expanding nuclear power."
"Nuclear energy is a vital part of Iowa’s energy future, and I am committed to advancing reliable, sustainable energy solutions that strengthen our energy independence and fuel economic growth"
"Nuclear power comes with its own set of potential problems, especially radioactive waste that can remain dangerous for thousands of years."
"The report says nuclear power is the only carbon-free electricity option that can both diversify Missouri's energy portfolio and help the state return to being a net exporter of electricity"
right
"Thank the green-energy cult for major blackouts this summer"
"state policymakers placed specious enviro-politics ahead of a critical necessity"
"We don't want the nuclear future owned by the Russians and the Chinese... We want the nuclear future exactly where the nuclear start came."
"If everything goes wrong, they automatically turn themselves off"
"North Korea on Thursday unveiled a new facility to produce nuclear bomb fuels, with leader Kim Jong Un announcing plans to bolster the country’s nuclear forces “at an exponential rate.”"

What each side left out

The right left out — covered by the Los Angeles Times & WBIR 10 & The Damage Report / PBS NewsHour
The left left out — covered by the CBS Austin KEYE & The Center Square
The right left out — covered by the E&E News
The center left out — covered by the Los Angeles Times
The left left out — covered by the Boston Herald

What's actually true?

[verified] The Trump administration/president wants to quadruple U.S. nuclear capacity by 2050.
[verified] The Energy Department selected Tennessee, Louisiana, Utah, Oklahoma and Idaho — all Republican-led — as finalist host states for Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses.
[verified] NextEra Energy is working to restart the ~600 MW Duane Arnold nuclear plant in Iowa, targeting around 2029, with Google signing an agreement to purchase its power.
[verified] China targets 110 GW of installed nuclear capacity by 2030 and is building reactors at roughly 10 units per year, potentially overtaking the US fleet around 2032.
[verified] Georgia's Vogtle expansion, the first new US plant in three decades, was completed in 2024 years behind schedule and at more than double the original estimated price.
[verified] A 2025 Gallup poll showed 46 percent of Democrats favor nuclear energy, up from 34 percent in 2016; a June 2025 Pew poll showed about 59% of Americans back new nuclear capacity.
[unverified] According to the Nuclear Energy Institute, 14 governors expressed support for nuclear in their state-of-the-state addresses this year — more than ever.
[contested] Only one US small modular reactor design has design certification (NuScale Power), and none have started full-scale construction.

The narrative clash

Whether nuclear is needed for grid reliability / to replace fossil fuels
Left: In terms of grid reliability, Diablo Canyon generates only a small percentage of what is needed... Diablo Canyon provides only about 2,200 megawatts, less than 4% of that total.
Right: At this point in time, I don’t see a path that gets us there without preserving the existing fleet and building new nuclear... And that’s after having maximized the amount of solar we can build in the system.
Whether the US nuclear push is well-timed or too late
Left: the current push comes too late to stop China’s nuclear capacity from overtaking the U.S. fleet at the start of the next decade
Right: Idaho remains the home of America's nuclear renaissance
Whether renewables are reliable enough to carry the grid
Left: wind and solar are fine when you need electricity 24/7. No powerplant has 100% capacity factor, what gets you 24/7 is the grid as a whole
Right: wind doesn’t work on windless days, and solar doesn’t keep your air conditioning running on steamy nights
Is nuclear an economic necessity or a cost and schedule liability?
Left: New nuclear construction has already shown it runs badly over budget and late. Vogtle was the warning sign.
Right: Politicians put environmental politics ahead of an energy necessity, and nuclear is what that necessity requires.
Can renewables keep the grid reliable without nuclear?
Left: Renewables and efficiency can easily replace an aging nuclear plant.
Right: Green-energy policy is the cause of blackouts. Renewables alone are not reliable.

40 sources analyzed

Iowa Capital Dispatch CSIS The Center Square Reuters The Boston Globe The Washington Post New York Post E&E News CBS Austin KEYE New York Post USA Today The Damage Report Los Angeles Times The Wall Street Journal Fox News Boston Herald USA Today Newsmax Richmond Times-Dispatch The Washington Post USA Today Yahoo Finance WBIR 10 Newsmax Los Angeles Times Vox USA Today Boston Herald New York Post The Boston Globe MSNBC MSNBC Boston Herald The Boston Globe The Washington Post Fox News National Review Yahoo! Search MSNBC The Boston Globe

Perspectivity reads the coverage — not just who published it.

Read the full interactive analysis →