The Great Big Power Play

"Take yourself back to 2017. and The Shape of Water were playing in theaters, Zohran Mamdani was still known as rapper Young Cardamom, and the Trump administration, freshly in power, was eager to prop up its favored energy sources. That year, the administration introduced a series of subsidies for struggling coal-fired power plants and nuclear power plants, which were facing increasing price pressures from gas and cheap renewables. The plan would have put taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars. It didn't work."

"In subsequent years, the nuclear industry kept running into roadblocks. Three nuclear plants have shut down since 2020, while construction of two of the only four reactors started since 2000 was put on hold after a decade and billions of dollars following a political scandal. Coal, meanwhile, continued its long decline: It comprises just 17 percent of the US power mix, down from a high of 45 percent in 2010."

Beginning in 2017, subsidies aimed at rescuing coal-fired and nuclear power plants failed to prevent industry decline. Since 2020, three nuclear plants have closed and construction on two new reactors stalled after a decade and billions spent following a political scandal. Coal's share of US power fell to 17 percent from 45 percent in 2010. In 2025, the administration linked nuclear expansion to AI's growing energy demands, issuing executive orders including a directive to build 10 large reactors by 2030. A DOE pilot program and regulator reshuffle spurred startup breakthroughs, and major tech firms signed deals with nuclear companies.

Read at WIRED