In 1955, a small city in the American West became the first in the world to be powered entirely by nuclear energy. It marked the dawn of a new technological era — when America built boldly and led decisively. Today, as new demand strains the grid and global energy competition intensifies, the West is once again positioned to do something historic: not just power cities, but ignite a new era of American prosperity and security.
In the decades that followed, the United States built more than 100 commercial nuclear reactors, most of them before 1990. It was a time of American acceleration, with some speculating that electricity could soon become “too cheap to meter.” The rest of the world took notice. France launched a sweeping national effort to replicate that momentum. Today, nuclear provides roughly 70% of France’s electricity.
But then, we hesitated. A combination of regulatory overreach, shifting public sentiment and political inertia brought new development nearly to a standstill. Well-documented setbacks fueled skepticism, while permitting processes stretched into decades. Our industrial muscle atrophied as we began to treat innovation as risk rather than opportunity. Somewhere along the way, we forgot how to build.
But the tide is turning.
Between 2019 and 2024, American support for nuclear energy rose by 18 percentage points. A recent poll found that nearly 80% of first-time and Gen Z voters support next-generation nuclear technologies as a complement to renewables. In Utah, where I serve as governor, polling shows similarly broad support for advanced nuclear energy.
That support isn’t surprising. Existing nuclear plants are among the safest, cleanest and most efficient sources of power ever built. Advanced nuclear builds on this legacy, offering smaller footprints, faster deployment and even broader use cases.
Utah isn’t just focused on building advanced nuclear reactors, but all energy types that can help us meet our goals. Through my administration’s initiative, Operation Gigawatt, we’re moving to double our state’s energy capacity over the next 10 years and build out our energy ecosystem to meet the needs of the future. This is a strategic imperative. We don’t believe in just an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy — we believe in a more-of-the-above strategy. If it’s reliable, clean and scalable, we’re building it.
That’s why at Utah’s recent Nuclear Energy Summit, I joined Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon and Idaho Governor Brad Little in signing a tri-state MOU to pursue regional collaboration in energy policy, infrastructure development and regulatory strategy.
We’re also building an ecosystem to support advanced nuclear. Our new Nuclear Energy Consortium — created in partnership with state lawmakers — will bring together private industry, investors and policymakers to guide development. We’re also designating energy development zones and creating policies to attract capital without raising costs for ratepayers. This is a model other states can follow.
This work is urgent. AI is already driving explosive growth in computing power, with hyperscale data centers demanding round-the-clock electricity. But that’s just one piece of a much larger challenge: how do we keep the lights on, keep rates affordable and build a grid resilient enough to withstand heatwaves, storms and cyber threats? Solving that challenge is essential for Utah families and businesses — today and for generations to come.
Because at the core of every strong economy is reliable energy. As we reshore advanced manufacturing and electrify major sectors of our economy — from transportation to housing — the demands on our grid will only grow. The future we’re building won’t run on gigawatts — it will require terawatts.
In May, President Trump signed four executive orders to “usher in a nuclear renaissance.” These orders provide steps to streamline permitting, support domestic enrichment and prioritize advanced reactor deployment. The economic case is compelling, with nuclear power offering unmatched reliability and energy density. At the announcement, Jake DeWitte, CEO of advanced nuclear firm Oklo, underscored that point with a simple visual: “A golf ball of uranium metal has enough energy content in it to power your entire life’s energy needs.” That’s the kind of efficiency we’ll need to power the next chapter of American prosperity.
But this isn’t just about economics. It’s also about national security. At the same White House event, General Matter CEO Scott Nolan pointed to a dangerous vulnerability: “Right now the U.S. is completely dependent on other countries for enrichment.”
He’s right. Roughly 25% of the enriched uranium used in U.S. reactors today comes from Russia. That dependency is unacceptable. As we bring dozens of new advanced reactors online in the coming years, we must ensure we’re not relying on adversaries to fuel them.
More than just building reactors, meeting this moment demands a full-scale commitment to the nuclear supply chain, from mining and enrichment to manufacturing and waste handling. It also requires modernizing our permitting systems so that well-designed projects don’t languish for years under bureaucratic delay.
We’ve done this before. In less than three decades, America once brought more than 100 nuclear reactors online. We know how to build when we decide it matters. And if we care about energy security, economic growth and global competitiveness, we’ll do it again.
The American West powered the world’s first nuclear city. This time, we have a chance to power something even greater: a nuclear renaissance.
Utah is ready to lead. I invite utility executives, policymakers and local leaders everywhere to join us. Now is the time to build.