On Halloween, we’d normally be assuring you that there’s nothing scary about nuclear energy, but it seems like younger generations don’t need the reminder. As a member of Gen Z myself, I can vouch for this firsthand—when I tell my friends I work in nuclear energy, many of them don’t need to hear the zero-emissions speech to get on board.
And I’m not the only one noticing this change. A Wall Street Journal poll found that a whopping two thirds of first-time voters agreed “the U.S. must plan to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.” Even more staggering: 4 in 5 respondents supported the growth of “new generation” nuclear in tandem with renewable energy sources to meet these goals. Nuclear has become cool again. But why?
A big part of that answer is climate. Ultimately, the challenge of climate change will fall onto the shoulders of the younger population, so it makes sense that climate is a top issue for Gen Z. WSJ found that their poll respondents supported a variety of climate-friendly causes, including net-zero target policies and bans on fast fashion. Gen Z is clearly conscious of what is and is not conducive to reaching our climate goals in the U.S., and nuclear has made the “in” list.
In 2019, WSJ issued a similar poll that saw significant support for nuclear energy, though at lower levels than were seen in their 2024 results. The difference between the two polls? The 2019 version had a much broader age range. When the polled group was narrowed down to young, first-time voters, attitudes toward nuclear changed dramatically for the better. Even more exciting, this poll’s participants were geographically, racially, economically and politically diverse, proving that it’s not just a certain demographic that’s on board—nuclear has Gen Z fans across the map.
As we head into a major election next week, it’s important to remember how crucial the youth vote is, for this year’s races and in the years to come. And Gen Z will be casting their vote with climate—and nuclear—in mind.
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