Trump’s Nuclear Energy Push Could Revive New York’s Power Prospects
In a dramatic turn from decades of anti-nuclear policy and public resistance, both Albany and Washington appear to be rethinking their stance on atomic energy. The shift—fueled by mounting demand from Artificial Intelligence (AI), warnings from grid operators, and stark energy reliability concerns—could mark a nuclear renaissance for New York and the nation.
This week, President Donald Trump signed a sweeping Executive Order titled “Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base,” aimed at jumpstarting domestic uranium production, streamlining reactor approvals, and fueling what he calls a “Golden Age” of American energy dominance. The order calls for 10 new large reactors to begin construction by 2030 and restarts efforts to reopen or repurpose shuttered nuclear plants.
The move coincides with signs of nuclear policy thawing in New York, historically one of the most hostile states to the industry. Long shaped by public backlash—most notably the multi-billion-dollar failure of Shoreham and the controversial 2021 shutdown of Indian Point—New York is now staring down an energy shortfall that wind and solar alone may not solve.
Governor Kathy Hochul has quietly softened the state’s hardline anti-nuclear posture. At last year’s Future Energy Economy Summit in Syracuse, she endorsed an “all-of-the-above” strategy that included advanced nuclear technology alongside renewables like wind, solar, geothermal, and hydrogen.
That shift comes not a moment too soon, experts say. New York’s goal of eliminating fossil fuels from electricity generation by 2040 is on a collision course with reality. Wind turbines, like those of the Sunrise Wind project off Montauk Point, only deliver power roughly 17% of the time. Solar averages 21%, and neither meets the 24/7 demand of AI data centers, industrial users, or even residential consumers.
“Wind and solar are not dispatchable—they don’t show up when you need them,” said David Walsh, an industry analyst. “Natural gas is abundant and extremely clean when modern plants are used, but New York policymakers ignored that too.”
Driving much of the urgency is the explosive rise in electricity demand from AI. Tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google are building nuclear-powered campuses to meet their own data center needs. Microsoft’s recent deal to source power from Pennsylvania’s soon-to-reopen Three Mile Island Unit 1 is seen as a symbolic and practical shift: nuclear is no longer taboo but essential.
Yet, as Walsh notes, those deals are private, not public.
“This is self-generation,” he said. “These companies are making sure there’s enough power for their AI facilities. They do nothing for working families, small businesses, or the broader grid.”
PJM Interconnection, the grid operator for 13 Northeast states, including parts of New York’s supply zone, warned of capacity shortfalls by 2026–27. Chair Mark Takahashi has sounded the alarm: “New and immediate supply is needed.” Without it, the region could face blackouts, brownouts, and economic stagnation.
The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) echoes that concern. In multiple reliability reports, NYISO has stressed the need for “dispatchable, emissions-free” power sources—code for nuclear or advanced carbon-capture plants—to support intermittent renewables.
A similar problem surfaced in Europe this spring when a mass outage hit Spain and Portugal. The outage was blamed in part on grid instability caused by reliance on renewables and insufficient backup power.
Trump’s executive order goes far beyond messaging. It mandates:
- Fuel independence: Ending reliance on foreign uranium and restarting domestic enrichment.
- Reprocessing: Launching programs to recycle spent fuel—a process once banned in the U.S.
- Workforce expansion: Prioritizing nuclear careers under federal job-training initiatives.
- Rapid construction: Fast-tracking permits, financing, and support for new and restarted reactors.
New York stands at a critical juncture. With federal support growing and energy demand spiking, the state’s resistance to nuclear power is increasingly at odds with its goals—and its future. Hochul’s next moves may determine whether New York becomes a leader in clean, reliable AI-era electricity—or a cautionary tale of power grid failure.