In a turn of events that few could have predicted just a decade ago, decommissioned nuclear power plants are now being brought back online. The driving force behind this unprecedented revival? The explosive growth of artificial intelligence and data centers that requires massive amounts of reliable, carbon-free electricity.

The Nuclear Renaissance

The most symbolic example of this nuclear renaissance came in September 2024 when Microsoft announced a groundbreaking 20-year power purchase agreement with Constellation Energy to restart Three Mile Island's Unit 1 reactor. The plant, which ceased operations in 2019 due to economic pressures, will be rebranded as the Crane Clean Energy Center and will provide 800 megawatts of carbon-free power exclusively to Microsoft's data centers.

Three Mile Island, forever associated with the worst commercial nuclear accident in US history, is now being hailed as a clean energy solution for the future. The Unit 1 reactor, which was never involved in the 1979 accident that occurred at Unit 2, operated safely for decades before its economic shutdown. Now it represents the future of clean energy infrastructure.

But Three Mile Island isn't alone in this remarkable comeback story. NextEra Energy has received federal approval to restart the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa, which shut down in August 2020. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved NextEra's request just last week, with the company eyeing a potential restart by the fourth quarter of 2028. Like Three Mile Island, Duane Arnold's resurrection is being driven by what NextEra describes as "unprecedented" demand from data centers hungry for reliable, clean electricity.

Additionally, in Michigan, the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station is set to become the first US nuclear plant to transition from decommissioning back to operations. The 800-megawatt plant, which shut down in 2022, has secured all necessary federal funding and regulatory approvals, with Holtec International targeting a restart by the end of 2025. We're witnessing something that has rarely happened in the nuclear industry: decommissioned plants being brought back to life.

Beyond plant restarts, utilities are pushing to extend the operating licenses of currently operational nuclear facilities far beyond their originally planned retirement dates. Xcel Energy's Monticello nuclear plant in Minnesota received federal approval for a 20-year license extension that will allow operations until 2050, while the company also secured approval to extend operations at its Prairie Island nuclear plant through the early 2050s. These extensions represent a fundamental shift in utility planning, as companies increasingly view their nuclear assets as essential long-term infrastructure rather than aging facilities to phase out.

The regulatory momentum is being matched by legislative action to remove barriers to nuclear development. In Minnesota, there are discussions to lift the state's moratorium on new construction of nuclear power plants. Even in California, traditionally hostile to nuclear power, elected officials are giving nuclear energy "a serious reexamination" driven by energy demand. This represents a remarkable policy reversal in states that have historically opposed nuclear development.

The Case for Nuclear Power

The catalyst for these nuclear restarts is the explosive growth in artificial intelligence computing and cloud services. AI applications, in particular, require enormous computational power, with training large language models consuming as much electricity as thousands of homes over several months.

Traditional renewable energy sources, while important, face limitations in meeting the 24/7 reliability requirements of data centers. Nuclear power, however, provides baseload power that can run continuously for months without interruption.

Tech giants like Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Amazon are increasingly recognizing that their ambitious carbon-neutral goals cannot be achieved through traditional renewables alone. Nuclear power offers a path to massive clean energy generation without the reliability concerns that come with the variability and intermittency of solar and wind.

Shifting Public Opinion

Perhaps even more remarkable than the plant restarts is the transformation in public attitudes toward nuclear power. Recent polling shows that 72% of Americans now favor nuclear energy use, representing sustained majority support that would have been unthinkable in the decades following Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.

This shift reflects several important trends. First, generational change is playing a significant role. For younger Americans, nuclear accidents like Three Mile Island feel like ancient history, and this emotional distance is allowing for more rational evaluation of nuclear power's benefits. Second, climate change concerns have fundamentally altered the risk calculus. Where previous generations weighed nuclear risks primarily against the status quo of fossil fuels, today's public increasingly views nuclear power as essential for avoiding catastrophic climate change. The choice is no longer between nuclear and fossil fuels, but between nuclear and an overheating planet. Third, the nuclear industry's strong safety record over the past several decades has gradually rebuilt public confidence. Modern nuclear plants have operated with exceptional safety records.

The Three Main Concerns with Nuclear Power

Nuclear Disasters

Public concern about nuclear accidents has measurably decreased as memories of past incidents fade and safety technology improves. Modern reactor designs incorporate passive safety systems that can shut down reactors safely even without power or human intervention. The industry has also learned from past incidents, implementing multiple layers of safety systems and improving emergency response protocols.

Nuclear Weapons

While nuclear weapons remain a legitimate concern in international relations, public understanding has evolved to separate civilian nuclear power from weapons programs. Most Americans recognize that countries like France, which generates 70% of its electricity from nuclear power, are not more likely to develop weapons because of their civilian programs.

Nuclear Waste Storage

This remains the most challenging aspect of public acceptance, but even here, attitudes are evolving. While experts suggest that gaining consensus for permanent storage in the US could take many years, the industry continues to safely store waste in temporary facilities with excellent safety records.

The Road Ahead

The nuclear industry's resurgence reflects a fundamental shift in how Americans think about energy trade-offs. Climate change has elevated the conversation beyond simple risk avoidance to risk management—comparing the relatively small risks of nuclear power against the catastrophic risks of unmitigated climate change.

The restart of plants like Three Mile Island and Duane Arnold represents more than just additional generating capacity; it signals a new chapter in American energy policy where nuclear power is viewed as part of the solution rather than part of the problem. With data center demand showing no signs of slowing and climate goals becoming more urgent, this nuclear renaissance may be just the beginning.

For energy strategists and policymakers, the lesson is clear: public opinion on nuclear power has fundamentally shifted, creating new opportunities for clean energy solutions that seemed impossible just a few years ago. The question is no longer whether nuclear power will play a role in America's energy future, but how large that role will be.