Energy Interconnections: Nuclear, Renewables, and Economic Pathways to Sustainability

In contemporary discourse, nuclear energy (NE) is frequently regarded as a viable strategy for enhancing environmental sustainability. This study investigates the impact of tourism, gross domestic product (GDP), NE, urbanization, and the renewable energy transition (RET) on states reliant on nuclear power. The analysis employs fixed effect (FE), generalized method of moments (GMMs), fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS), and panel corrected standard errors (PCSE) methodologies. Two hypotheses are tested: an inverted U‐shaped relationship between income and ecological footprint (EF), and a U‐shaped relationship with load capacity. The findings indicate that GDP, NE, urbanization, tourism, and RETs significantly influence EF and load capacity. Causality tests reveal robust associations, corroborating the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) and load capacity curve (LCC) hypotheses, thereby underscoring the necessity for sustainable energy policies. Policy recommendations advocate for the facilitation of clean energy transitions, sustainable tourism, and heightened environmental awareness to mitigate ecological pressures while fulfilling energy demands.