Get over yourself to 2017. To go out And The shape of water were playing in theaters, Zohran Mamdani was still known as the rapper Young Cardamom, and the Trump administration, fresh in office, was eager to support its favored powerhouses.
That year, the administration introduced a series of subsidies for struggling coal-fired power plants and nuclear plants, which were facing growing price pressures for cheap gas and renewable energy. The plan would have cost taxpayers billions of dollars. It didn’t work.
In the following years, the nuclear industry continued to face obstacles. Three nuclear power plants have closed since 2020, while construction of two of the four reactors started since 2000 was suspended after a decade and billions of dollars following a political scandal. Coal, for its part, continues its long decline: it only represents 17% of the American energy mix, compared to 45% in 2010.
Today, these two energy sources are getting a second chance. The difference this time is the buzz around AI, but it’s not clear whether the outcome will be much different.
Throughout 2025, the Trump administration has not only promoted nuclear power, but also positioned it specifically as a solution to AI energy needs. In May, the president signed a series of executive orders intended to boost nuclear power in the United States, including ordering the construction of 10 new large reactors by 2030. An Energy Department pilot program created in the wake of May’s executive orders — coupled with a serious overhaul of the country’s nuclear regulator — has already led to inroads by small startups. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in September that progress in AI “will be accelerated by the rapid unlocking and deployment of commercial nuclear power.”
The administration’s efforts are reflected in investments by technology companies. Giants like Google, Amazon and Microsoft have signed numerous deals in recent years with nuclear companies to power data centers; Microsoft has even joined the World Nuclear Association. In the United States, there are plans to restart several decommissioned reactors – including two of three that have closed in the past five years – with the tech industry supporting some of these arrangements. (This includes Microsoft’s high-profile reboot of the infamous Three Mile Island, which is also backed by a billion-dollar loan from the federal government.) Now is a good time for the private and public sectors to promote nuclear: Public support for nuclear power is the highest since 2010.
Despite everything Thus, the practical aspects of nuclear energy cast doubt on its future. Most of nuclear’s costs come not from onerous regulations but from construction. Critics are wary of the increased valuations of smaller modular reactor companies, particularly those with deep ties to the Trump administration. The government’s $80 billion deal with reactor giant Westinghouse in October is light on detail, leaving the industry with more questions than answers. And despite large-scale technological agreements which promise to make the reactors operational in a few years, the deadlines remain delicate.
