Governor Kathy Hochul’s embrace of nuclear power as a key component of New York’s energy strategy has ignited a fierce debate, pitting advocates of nuclear technology against critics who argue for a focus on renewables. The South Shore Press interviewed Linda Pentz-Gunter of Beyond Nuclear, a staunch opponent of nuclear energy, and James Walker, CEO of NANO Nuclear Energy, a proponent of next-generation nuclear solutions, to explore the contrasting perspectives.
Pentz-Gunter sharply criticized Hochul’s nuclear push, calling it “foolish and reckless.” Severe emphasized that nuclear power’s long construction timelines—often 10 to 15 years—make it an ineffective solution for what she called an urgent climate crisis. “It’s promising jobs that, if they materialize at all, are well down the road,” she added. “The arguments are highly misleading.”
Pentz-Gunter argued that investing in wind and solar, coupled with energy efficiency measures, would yield faster carbon reductions and more immediate economic benefits. “Every dollar invested in renewables gets you more carbon reductions faster than the same dollar invested in nuclear,” she said, citing the falling costs and rapid deployment of renewable technologies. She also dismissed the notion of nuclear providing energy independence, pointing out that uranium is mostly imported. “New York could lead on renewables and efficiency, but Hichul’s announcement turns the clock backward,” she said.
The nuclear opponent further criticized the industry’s “negative learning” trend, where projects take longer and cost more despite decades of experience. Pentz-Gunter also expressed skepticism about small modular reactors (SMRs), calling their designs “unproven” and noting that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has raised safety concerns. “These are old designs that have blown up, caught fire, melted down,” she said, arguing that the push for SMRs is unrealistic given the lack of infrastructure and regulatory hurdles.
Pentz-Gunter also highlighted bipartisan support for nuclear power, debunking the assumption that Democrats uniformly oppose it. “It’s not a partisan issue,” she said, noting that prominent Democrats, including Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Cory Booker, actively advocate for nuclear energy.
In contrast, James Walker of NANO Nuclear Energy, a company developing advanced microreactors, praised Hochul’s decision as a pragmatic step toward meeting New York’s growing energy demands, particularly for data centers and AI infrastructure. “The U.S. needs a lot more power, especially because of AI,” Walker said, emphasizing nuclear’s high capacity factor—its ability to provide consistent, reliable power compared to wind (25%) and solar (15%). He argued that renewables alone cannot meet the state’s needs without massive overbuilds and costly storage solutions, such as large-scale battery facilities.
Walker highlighted the closure of Indian Point, a nuclear plant that once supplied 25% of New York City and Westchester’s power, as a cautionary tale. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, now a board member at NANO Nuclear, shut down Indian Point due to safety concerns about its aging infrastructure. Still, Walker noted that Cuomo was never antinuclear and now supports new atomic development. “They tried wind and solar, but they never got close to replacing Indian Point’s output,” Walker said.
He touted advanced nuclear technologies, particularly SMRs and microreactors like NANO’s Kronos reactor, which can generate 20 megawatts and be deployed off-grid. “You can co-locate industry with these reactors, opening economic opportunities without needing massive grid upgrades,” Walker said. He cited a planned 60-megawatt plant in upstate New York as an example, which would replace a former natural gas facility. NANO is also building a prototype reactor at the University of Illinois, with plans to scale production once licensed by the NRC.
Walker acknowledged the nuclear accidents at Three Mile Island and Fukushima but insisted that modern designs using “accident-tolerant” TRISO fuel eliminate meltdown risks. “These reactors cannot fail in the same way,” he said, emphasizing their safety and suitability for power generation. He also noted bipartisan support for nuclear, driven by tech industry lobbying and national security concerns about fuel supply chains. Recent policies under both the Biden and Trump administrations, including Trump’s executive order to fast-track licensing, have reduced regulatory timelines from 25 to 18 months, boosting companies like NANO.
Hochul’s nuclear pivot comes as New York grapples with ambitious climate goals and rising energy demands from tech industries. Critics like Pentz-Gunter argue that renewables and efficiency offer a faster, cheaper, and more equitable path to decarbonization, accusing the governor of succumbing to nuclear industry influence. Meanwhile, proponents like Walker see nuclear as an essential complement to renewables, offering reliable power and economic benefits without wind and solar's land and infrastructure challenges.
As New York navigates this energy crossroads, the debate underscores a broader question: Can the state balance urgency, reliability, and sustainability in its quest for a clean energy future? For now, Hochul’s embrace of nuclear has set the stage for a contentious policy battle, with stakeholders on both sides vying to shape the state’s energy landscape.