What do D.C. politicos and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, environmentalists and business leaders, conservatives and liberals, national security experts and celebrities agree on?
Clean, reliable nuclear energy.
In a highly polarized world, there are few things that still unite people. But one that stands out is carbon-free nuclear power as a climate solution. From Elon Musk to John Kerry to Bill Gates, we’ve seen support for nuclear energy from our world’s most important business leaders and political figures.
Nuclear power not only provides the always-on, affordable carbon-free energy critical to combatting climate change, it also creates jobs and boosts local economies. Advanced nuclear designs can do even more—providing carbon-free energy in new and innovative ways in areas that currently rely on carbon-emitting energy sources, producing hydrogen, and decarbonizing heavy industrial processes. These benefits extend far beyond electricity too, into areas such as medical treatments and space exploration.
For these reasons, nuclear has enjoyed decades of support across political parties, countries, and industries, and over the past year, we’ve seen even more growth in strong voices for nuclear.
Both the administration as well as governments across the country are committed to advancing nuclear power to meet our nation’s decarbonization goals.
An Associated Press survey found that two-thirds of U.S. states say that nuclear will play a role in the transition away from fossil fuels, and over the past year, there’s been significant movement in state policy to pursue nuclear.
The industry has also seen strong bipartisan support from Congress, translating to real commitments like the bipartisan infrastructure package’s major investments in nuclear energy.
“Realizing nuclear power’s full potential nationwide will not only protect air quality and mitigate the long-term effects of climate change, but can help low income households across the country save on their monthly energy bills,” said Representative Ralph Norman (R-S.C.).
The Biden Administration has signaled its “bullish” support of new nuclear, vocalizing the critical role nuclear will play in our clean energy transition.
“The United States views nuclear energy as a pivotal technology in the global effort to lower emissions, expand economic opportunity, and ultimately combat climate change,” said Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy Jennifer Granholm. “We have been supporting the development of SMRs for decades.”
The politicians who shape our nation, Democrats and Republicans alike, are raising their voices, pushing to advance nuclear technologies in efforts to reduce costs, increase reliability, and improve the environment.
Not only is there growing support in Congress, but there’s been increasing support from the business leaders who are at the forefront of technology and investing. From Elon Musk to Bill Gates, powerful people are backing nuclear energy.
“Nuclear power is the only carbon-free energy source we have that can deliver large amounts of power day and night through every season almost anywhere on earth. And it has been proven to work on a large scale,” said Bill Gates, Founder and Chairman of TerraPower, an American nuclear reactor innovation company.
Elon Musk has also publicly supported nuclear energy for many years, and when discussing making bitcoin mining sustainable at a conference last year, he asserted that he is “pro-nuclear.”
It’s not just in the U.S. that we are seeing pivotal figures emphasizing the importance of nuclear technology in decarbonizing the electricity sector. International organizations are recognizing that a global problem requires a global solution—a carbon-free energy source that is reliable, affordable, and can power both our metropolitan hubs as well as our remote communities. Nuclear is the source that can make it all work.
“I've never seen a credible energy transition strategy that does not include nuclear,” said Mark Carney, UN Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance.
NGO’s, journalists, union leaders, and celebrities have also chimed in, asserting that we need more nuclear to save our climate and reach net zero.
To see what everyone is saying about America’s largest clean energy source, visit our new Voices for Nuclear page.
