In some ways, 2024 was like 50 years packed into one. There was an election, the WNBA (finally) started getting the attention it deserves, there was an Olympics, Wicked came out, Chappell Roan popped off, and Moo Deng was a thing. But there weren’t just loads of pop culture events, there was also big news out of the nuclear energy industry.
Looking Back
- The ADVANCE Act passed!! ADVANCE stands for Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy. This bipartisan legislation is key for modernizing the regulatory framework, facilitating the export of U.S. nuclear technology, and spurring the development of advanced reactors.
- Vogtle 4 hit the grid! Vogtle 4 is currently producing enough electricity to power roughly 500,000 homes and businesses, providing a lot of clean energy to the grid.
- More people agree we need nuclear to meet the moment. A recent public opinion survey found public support for nuclear energy increased by 18 percentage points between 2019 and 2024; and public support for more nuclear generation increased by 18 and 21 percentage points in the past five years, with a majority of Americans now supporting new generation being built in the U.S.
- Massive progress in the states. There was progress at the state level all over the place—Tennessee and Washington allocated millions of dollars in their state budgets toward developing nuclear, while Virginia and Wyoming made strides toward deploying new nuclear.
- Turns out young people love nuclear. Polling showed that nearly 80% of first-time and young American voters support new nuclear to supplement renewable energy in the U.S. Many young Americans view climate change as a major issue and view nuclear as a great way to provide large amounts of clean energy.
- Dirt started moving. We saw work being done at sites across the country to prepare for larger scale construction.
- Tech companies invested deeply in nuclear energy. Due to the increased prevalence of AI and new data centers popping up all over the place, many tech companies are choosing to invest in nuclear to meet their energy needs. These companies have big climate goals as well as a need for energy that is always on, making nuclear a great fit. Microsoft announced it was partnering with Constellation Energy to reopen the former Three Mile Island Unit 1 as the Crane Clean Energy Center , Google announced it was purchasing nuclear energy from SMRs developed by Kairos, and Amazon Web Services announced deals with X-Energy, Energy Northwest, and Dominion Energy to develop nuclear projects. We expect to see this trend continue.
Provided our energy needs are expanding, our de-carbonization needs are dire, and energy security continues to be a matter of importance, this big year from the nuclear industry was critical.
Fortunately, bipartisan support for nuclear has been increasing at the federal and state levels, and we are poised for another big year in 2025. Here are a few things we’re hoping to see this year.
Looking Ahead
- The new administration could pursue an energy dominance agenda that includes nuclear energy. Congress and federal agencies might explore policies and actions to build energy independence for the U.S. by strengthening electricity generation and our supply chain. On an international level, federal policies could ease the path for U.S. nuclear exporters to form long-term trade relationships with other countries.
- U.S. states can continue passing legislation to support new and existing nuclear and creating strategic plans and working groups to identify next steps for nuclear deployment.
- Nuclear could start powering clean hydrogen production, allowing the U.S. to establish itself as a preeminent supplier of clean hydrogen to the global market.
The crazy thing is that this isn’t even the end of it. So much more happened last year and so much more is going to happen this year. Make sure you stay in the loop to see all the good things to come in 2025.
