From Capitol Hill: Nuclear is back, critical for America’s energy future

The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy convened its first hearing of the year, "American Energy Dominance: Dawn of the New Nuclear Era," on January 7, where lawmakers and industry leaders discussed how nuclear energy can help meet surging electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence, data centers, advanced manufacturing, and national security needs.

Bipartisan support, diverging concerns: Committee members from both parties reaffirmed support for nuclear energy as a clean, reliable source of power. Majority members emphasized nuclear's role in ensuring firm capacity and energy security, citing recent legislative actions such as the ADVANCE Act as critical steps toward deployment, and framing nuclear expansion as essential for U.S. competitiveness against China and Russia. According to committee chair Rep. Bob Latta (R., Ohio), "The importance of successful growth of the American nuclear energy cannot be understated. . . . What we need in this country is more energy."

Others echoed support but raised concerns about maintaining the independence and transparency of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Several warned that political interference and staffing losses could erode public trust-a cornerstone for successful nuclear deployment. Ranking member Kathy Castor (D., Fla.) spoke about wanting to counter the "chaos coming out of the [Trump] administration" by keeping things on track, saying, "If the American public loses that confidence, then the industry will wither."

Call for action: Witnesses included Maria Korsnick, president and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute; John Williams, senior vice president at Southern Company; John Wagner, director of Idaho National Laboratory; and Judi Greenwald, president and CEO of the Nuclear Innovation Alliance.

Korsnick said the U.S. nuclear sector is "at a pivotal moment," noting that electricity demand is accelerating faster than it has at any other point in decades. She outlined six priorities for congressional leadership: regulatory modernization, financial risk mitigation, fuel supply chain rebuilding, waste strategy, workforce readiness, and global competitiveness.

Williams pointed to lessons learned from Southern Company's completion of Vogtle-3 and -4-the first new U.S. reactors in more than 30 years-where improved practices cut costs for Unit 4 by about 20 percent, compared with Unit 3. He stressed the need for federal risk-sharing tools, including tax credits and DOE loan support, to overcome high up-front capital costs.

Wagner emphasized the "unprecedented inflection point" for nuclear energy, a rare alignment of market demand, national security priorities, and policy support, and warned that decades of limited deployment have ceded global leadership to China and Russia. He called for sustained investment in advanced reactor demonstrations, fuel cycle capabilities, and waste policy modernization.

Greenwald underscored the importance of NRC independence and transparency, arguing that public trust is essential for scaling nuclear energy. She also urged Congress to ensure adequate staffing and oversight while fully implementing the ADVANCE Act.

Demand, deployment, and trust: Throughout the hearing, members and witnesses agreed that U.S. electricity demand is rising sharply and that nuclear energy must play a central role in meeting it. As Rep. Mariette Miller-Meeks (R., Iowa) said, "The question before us no longer is whether America needs nuclear energy, but how quickly we can deploy it."

While optimism about nuclear's future was evident, witnesses and several committee members stressed that success depends on maintaining strong safety standards and an independent regulator. As Greenwald noted, "Efficiency and safety can advance together-but only if transparency and independence are preserved."

For more details, including full testimony and a webcast, visit the energy subcommittee website here.