New York will build a new nuclear power plant to supply electricity to up to one million homes, part of a broader pivot back to nuclear energy amid growing demand and grid reliability concerns.
Patrick McGeehan and Brad Plumer report for The New York Times.
In short:
- Governor Kathy Hochul announced the plan without specifying the plant’s location, timeline, or cost, but said it would be managed by the New York Power Authority and seek private investment.
- The plant is intended to replace power lost when the Indian Point nuclear plant closed in 2021, which led to increased fossil fuel use and delayed shutdowns of older gas-burning plants.
- The move aligns with a national trend as other states and tech companies also return to nuclear energy to meet round-the-clock demand without greenhouse gas emissions.
Key quote:
“This is not your grandparents’ nuclear reactor. You’re not going to see this in a movie starring Jane Fonda.”
— Kathy Hochul, governor of New York
Why this matters:
As electricity demand surges — driven in part by A.I. data centers and chip manufacturing — states are scrambling to secure stable, low-emissions power sources. Nuclear energy, once on the decline, is now making a comeback thanks to its ability to produce steady, carbon-free electricity around the clock. But new projects come with high costs, long timelines, and public skepticism, especially over radioactive waste and safety. New York’s reversal on Indian Point’s closure illustrates the difficulty of balancing climate goals with grid reliability. With renewables still limited by storage and intermittency, the debate over how best to transition off fossil fuels is intensifying — and nuclear is back at the center of it.
