“Inflection Point In The Conversation On Atomic Power” Begins 

“The world should increase use of nuclear power!” Elon Musk tweeted last week while commenting on a Times Magazine article featuring J. Robert Oppenheimer’s grandson, who stated transitioning to a net zero-carbon economy would involve nuclear power. 

The world should increase use of nuclear power!

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 11, 2023

We presented a bull nuclear thesis to readers back in December 2020, recommending uranium on the belief that nuclear energy would eventually be incorporated into the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) framework, as highlighted in our article “Is This The Beginning Of The Next ESG Craze,” is proving to be accurate.

“It’s also important to underscore that nuclear energy became unpopular in part due to its association with nuclear weapons and fears about its safety. But the actual safety record shows it is one of the safest sources of energy, and it is becoming more popular to be an environmentalist and pro-nuclear,” Charles Oppenheimer wrote.

Meanwhile, seven years and $16 billion over budget, Southern Co.’s Vogtle nuclear power plant project in Georgia is coming online and will unleash a new nuclear generation of carbon-free electricity. 

“It’s also coming online just as the world has hit an inflection point in the conversation on atomic power,” Bloomberg explained. 

Vogtle’s new plant will be the nation’s largest nuclear power plant and the first to be constructed in decades. 

“We are at a moment when the nuclear renaissance has a chance,” said Jigar Shah, who heads the US Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office. 

Earlier this year, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission certified a new small modular nuclear reactor that will likely be used in the next generation of power plants by the end of the decade. The Biden administration has been plowing billions of dollars to upgrade existing nuclear power plants while expanding domestic infrastructure that will eventually pave the way for building new reactors. 

“There’s more appreciation for nuclear energy,” said Jessica Lovering, executive director of Good Energy Collective, a pro-nuclear research group. 

A movement is building behind nuclear power to unleash a carbon-free future supporting the proliferation of electric vehicles on US roadways.