How will the US unleash commercial nuclear power?

America’s economic future depends on something most business leaders rarely think about until it becomes scarce: electricity. The rise of artificial intelligence and cloud computing is driving electricity demand upward for the first time in decades. And it is becoming increasingly clear that nuclear power is needed to address to serve the demand. But is the U.S. ready?

That was the question discussed at the event How Will the U.S. Unleash Commercial Nuclear Power? led by Mark Jamison, director of Warrington’s Public Utility Research Center. Hosted by the American Enterprise Institute, the event came to a surprising conclusion: The U.S. is its own worst enemy when it comes to nuclear power.

Technology companies are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data centers, and those facilities require massive amounts of reliable, around-the-clock power. Companies such as Google and Microsoft are turning to nuclear energy, often supplied by re-opened reactors supplied by NextEra and Constellation Energy. Yet while more than 80 nuclear reactors are currently under construction around the world, none are being built in the United States.

The problem is not a lack of demand, capital or technology. The challenge is cost. America has allowed nuclear projects to become expensive through lengthy regulatory processes, fragmented policy making and developers’ tendencies to treat each project as a one-off undertaking. Countries that build reactors more efficiently rely on standardized designs, repeat construction processes and predictable regulatory frameworks. That’s not the U.S. approach. Policymakers will need to streamline and stabilize regulations, and businesses will need to standardize their purchasing, if the U.S. is to live up to its potential.

The speakers noted that nuclear power is not the entire answer to America’s energy needs, but it is increasingly clear that there is no realistic path to sustained economic growth without it. The question is no longer whether the United States needs nuclear power. The question is whether America will lead the next generation of nuclear development or import the benefits from countries that do.

Watch the full discussion on YouTube.