America is embracing the nuclear option for energy

“Mr. President, the nuclear option is on the table”... is what US military officials probably on Sunday after airlifting a miniature nuclear reactor for the first time, as part of the Trump admin’s pledge to deploy additional nuclear power across the US.

How we got here: In May, President Trump signed four executive orders aimed at expanding domestic nuclear energy development as part of a broader push to boost production by leaning into both nuclear and fossil fuel-based sources.

• The executive orders seek to add 300 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2050, part of which will be used to power AI capabilities as well as military bases.
• They also include a pledge to have at least three advanced nuclear reactors “critical”—or running all of its nuclear systems—on US soil by July 4 of this year.

Why use nuclear energy?

Proponents of fission reactors—not to be confused with fusion reactors, which are still years or decades from commercial viability—say the technology can deliver megawatts of power both safely and cheaply, providing reliable and scalable energy and reducing America’s reliance on foreign adversaries.

Nuclear reactors, which don’t emit any greenhouse gases, are also able to produce maximum power nearly 93% of the time during the year, making them roughly twice as reliable as fossil-fuel plants, and ~3x more reliable than solar or wind plants.

But…Some critics say the Trump admin’s fast-tracking of untested reactor designs from private companies could pose safety issues and, in a worst-case scenario, create the potential for nuclear meltdowns like those that occurred at Fukushima, Three Mile Island, or Chernobyl.

They also cite several downsides associated with nuclear reactors, including extremely high building and operating costs—sometimes over 15x original forecasts—and challenges with disposing radioactive waste.

Zoom out: Advanced nuclear reactors are also seen as the primary solution for the energy-hungry AI data centers operated by tech giants, with Microsoft, Google, and Amazon all planning to spend billions of dollars collectively to develop new nuclear energy sites (including Three Mile Island).