New nuclear should power decarbonization

It wouldn’t be that hard to cut greenhouse gas emissions if we could source abundant and affordable energy without releasing carbon dioxide. Nuclear power has the potential to deliver just that: a stable, large-scale energy source with few CO 2 emissions. Although renewable electricity such as wind and solar can also power electrolytic hydrogen production, nuclear has the unique ability to provide constant low-CO 2 electricity 24/7, heedless of sunlight and weather—a critical advantage for commercial-scale plants, which also run around the clock. Some readers may be heartened, then, that nuclear power has experienced a dramatic comeback in popularity over the past year or so. But there is a curious twist. Utilities are building and restarting nuclear power plants not to decarbonize but to fuel the energy demands of artificial intelligence systems and data centers. In September, Microsoft signed a contract with Constellation in which the software giant will pay