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Bipartisan momentum, rising investment, and growing public support are cementing nuclear as a cornerstone of America’s clean energy future. |
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A NUCLEAR MOMENT: It’s a Topper Takeover! Speed & Scale invited Third Way to share insights on the bipartisan work on nuclear policy in the U.S. At Speed & Scale, we advocate for both “now” and “new” clean technologies. Here’s what’s new in nuclear…
At Third Way, we’ve spent the last 15 years calling for greater federal support for nuclear power across the United States. Today, we find hope in the rapid, bipartisan growth of American nuclear energy. In short, nuclear’s future is the brightest we’ve ever seen.
Government investment is at an all-time high. Over $10 billion has been poured into demonstrations, tax credits, and supply chains by the federal government alone. And private investment is flooding in too, much of it from hyperscalers who recognize the importance of nuclear to provide clean, firm power for data centers and other large-load users. And this month, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the first construction license for a commercial-scale, next-generation nuclear power plant in Wyoming.
This progress was made possible by durable bipartisan support for nuclear buildout. On Capitol Hill, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and James Risch (R-ID) and former Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) led the fight to pass a remarkable amount of nuclear legislation in a few short years, including the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, funding for the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program and nuclear fuel availability, and the ADVANCE Act to reform licensing. These bills have helped to modernize the U.S. nuclear sector, cultivating domestic supply chains and supporting the commercialization of innovative nuclear energy technologies.
The Biden administration made nuclear central to its energy strategy. The Trump administration has taken the ball and run with it. They’ve set an ambitious goal of 400 GW of nuclear energy by 2050, unlocking funding for nuclear fuel supply chains, and encouraged deeper cooperation with our allies overseas.
There is increasing public support, too: Pew Research says almost 60 percent of Americans favor more nuclear power. Research from Third Way shows that adding nuclear to the list of clean energy technologies increases favorability for clean energy by 8 percentage points among the general public and 17 percentage points among Republicans.
Nuclear is a rare bright spot of consensus in Washington’s uneven approach to clean energy generation.
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| | | 🚗 1.0 – Electrify Transportation Myths Stall Motors: A new UK poll shows that misinformation about EV safety, costs, and emissions is spreading—and that it discourages potential buyers. The poll suggests that perception could be the main obstacle to mass EV adoption (BusinessGreen). Powering Past Sales: Despite a slowdown of EV sales in the U.S., charging demand and infrastructure continue to scale, with nearly six million EVs on the road and a 48 percent increase in fast-charger installations. Rising utilization and faster, more reliable networks signal a shift from sales-driven growth to installed-base economics, even as weak vehicle demand clouds near-term outlooks for charging companies (Bloomberg).
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SUN-POWERED SAVINGS: Spain’s renewable-heavy grid—57 percent renewable power plus roughly 20 percent nuclear—can drive sharp price advantages. Under favorable conditions, electricity can fall to as little as one-seventh the cost seen in France and Germany. Strong solar, wind, and hydropower output reduces reliance on gas-fired generation—and illustrates the potential for clean energy penetration and lower near-term power costs.
At the same time, market structure and system constraints still tether Spanish renewable prices to that of natural gas. Clean generation by itself can’t get us to net zero without increased storage capacity, grid flexibility, and pricing reform.
This mixed reality highlights both the progress and shortfalls for KR 2.1: to scale to 90 percent zero-emissions electricity globally by 2035. Spain’s experience shows that while clean generation is substantially scaling, fossil fuels continue to dictate system costs and be counted on for reliability. |
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| | 💡 2.0 – Decarbonize the Grid Crisis Fuels Choices: The Iran war is disrupting global energy supplies, pushing countries toward both faster clean energy buildout and increased use of coal and gas. While energy security is being prioritized over climate goals, the war is also strengthening the case for renewables as a hedge against fuel shocks (New York Times and Financial Times). Partisan Power Shift: In a pragmatic move to court conservative influencers and Trump-aligned voters, solar advocates are shifting their emphasis to energy security, affordability, and the importance of domestic manufacturing. As electricity prices rise and AI-driven demand accelerates, the potential for quick and cheap solar deployment has created an opening for bipartisan backing despite continued policy rollbacks (Politico).
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🐄 3.0 – Fix Food Paddies to Progress: Vietnam has nearly doubled its low-emission rice acreage by reducing adoption risk through guaranteed buyers, improved infrastructure, and measurable emissions tracking. The Vietnamese model cuts emissions by seven to ten tons per acre while boosting farmer incomes by 13 percent. It signals how financial incentives and infrastructure can unlock rapid adoption of climate-smart agriculture (AgTechNavigator). Menu Matters: When 35 British hospitals switched to plant-based meals as their default, they cut food-related emissions by 22 percent while maintaining patient satisfaction. The low-friction behavioral nudge reduced meat consumption by 14 percent and boosted plant protein uptake (Green Queen).
🌳 4.0 – Protect Nature Rising Baselines: New research finds coastal sea levels are already up to a foot higher than widely used models suggest, putting hundreds of millions more people at risk. The error stems from flawed measurement methods and indicates that climate exposure may be significantly underestimated (New York Times). Forecasting the Flood: Google used AI to process 2.6 million flood events from over nine million news articles, creating the largest dataset of its kind to improve flash flood forecasting across more than 150 countries. While early models can generate 24-hour urban flood alerts, limited resolution and data accuracy point to the current constraints of AI-driven climate risk prediction (Heatmap).
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| 🧱 5.0 – Clean Up Industry Corporate Climate Bet: Google, Amazon, and JPMorganChase are among the companies launching a $100 million initiative to cut methane, refrigerants, and other “super-pollutants” that have driven roughly half of global warming to date. The effort aims to catalyze high-impact projects through 2030 by targeting near-term emissions reductions (Axios). Circular Scale-Up: The Finnish company Neste has commissioned a $120 million facility, the world’s largest of its kind, to convert low-quality plastic waste into high-grade feedstock. The project could cut greenhouse gas emissions from plastics manufacturing by more than a third, though policy rules may limit its impact (IndexBox).
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| 🧹 6.0 – Remove Carbon Biomass Blind Spots: Biomass projects account for nearly 90 percent of carbon removal credits sold to date, but a new Clean Air Task Force report finds that most certification methods for these projects are weak or inconsistent. Without stronger standards, the study warns, the market risks replaying the credibility crisis that undermined earlier carbon offset programs (Heatmap). Offsets on Overdrive: As Big Tech races to offset emissions from energy-intensive AI infrastructure, the carbon credit market projects to be worth more than $30 billion by 2030. The spike reflects both rising data center demand and a broader shift toward carbon removal as an essential tool for meeting net-zero targets (CNBC).
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| 🏛️ 7.0 – Win Politics And Policy EVs on Trial: The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit to block California’s vehicle emissions rules, challenging the state’s authority to effectively mandate a shift to electric vehicles. The case could reshape U.S. auto policy by determining states’ ability to drive decarbonization in the absence of federal action (New York Times). Mega Plant, Mega Emissions: A proposed 9.2 gigawatt gas-fired power plant backed by the Trump administration could become one of the largest sources of U.S. power sector emissions, releasing up to 19 million metric tons of CO2 annually. While the plant could theoretically supply millions of homes, analysts say it is more likely to meet new demand from data centers than to displace existing coal power (Bloomberg).
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| 🏃 8.0 – Turn Movements Into Action China’s Grid Grip: China now dominates global clean energy supply chains as the system-level leader in electrification. By prioritizing fossil fuel output over infrastructure and technology, the United States risks ceding long-term energy dominance as power shifts toward those who build and control electrified systems (Foreign Affairs). Power Pays Its Way: The White House is pushing a voluntary pledge by data center developers to fully fund their own power generation and prevent electricity price hikes for ratepayers. The move reflects mounting political pressure to manage AI-driven demand growth while preserving affordability (The White House). Murky Mandate: California regulators approved rules to implement corporate emissions disclosure requirements, with companies expected to begin reporting Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions this year. But ongoing litigation has paused enforcement of the rules’ main provisions, leaving companies to navigate voluntary compliance pending a ruling by the courts (ESG Dive).
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| ⚡ 9.0 – Innovate! Soybean Solutions: Soy-based innovations are expanding beyond fuel and feed into new markets, including PFAS-free firefighting foam and materials for tires and infrastructure. Industry groups are accelerating product development to unlock additional demand in a tight agricultural market—and offer new revenue streams for farmers (Hoosier Ag Today).
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| 💰 10.0 – Invest! Betting on Green: The investment bank Jefferies is urging investors to stay committed to clean energy despite war-driven fossil fuel price spikes, citing the sector’s 2025 rebound and 2026 outperformance as evidence of durable momentum. The call frames current volatility as cyclical noise, with energy security concerns reinforcing renewables’ continued importance (Bloomberg). Grid Boost: The U.S. Department of Energy is investing nearly $2 billion in power grid upgrades to handle a sharp rise in electricity demand from AI, data centers, and electrification. As we witness the end of a two-decade period of flat demand, the funding targets higher-capacity transmission lines and grid technologies to ease rising costs and upgrade infrastructure (Reuters).
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