After decades of stagnation, nuclear power is having a revival in the United States, driven by a simple problem: the data centers that run artificial intelligence need enormous amounts of electricity around the clock. At the same time, the end of federal tax credits for electric vehicles has tested whether EVs can compete on price alone.

Nuclear: the first restart of a closed U.S. reactor

What's happening

The Palisades nuclear plant on Lake Michigan shut down in May 2022. Its new owner, Holtec International, set out to do something never done in the U.S.: bring a retired reactor back into service, backed by a $1.52 billion federal loan approved in 2024. In April 2025, Energy Secretary Chris Wright cited the project as part of the administration's push for "affordable, reliable, and secure electricity."

Where it stands

The restart has taken longer than planned — Holtec had hoped to reconnect to the grid by early 2026 (Michigan Public). By summer 2026, major projects were complete but no restart date had been set (American Nuclear Society). In September, Holtec said it had begun loading fuel into the reactor, with a return to operation possible later this year.

Big Tech's nuclear bet

AI has turned tech companies into some of the biggest buyers of electricity in the world. In May 2025, Google agreed to work with the startup Elementl Power to prepare three sites for advanced nuclear reactors, each with at least 600 megawatts of capacity — about 1.8 gigawatts in total, enough to power more than a million homes. It was one of several such deals: Microsoft, Amazon and Meta have also signed agreements to restart, extend or build nuclear plants to supply their data centers. New reactors take years to license and build, so most of that power is not expected before the 2030s.

EVs after the tax credit

When Slate Auto, a startup backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, unveiled its stripped-down electric pickup in April 2025, it promised a price of around $20,000 after the federal $7,500 EV tax credit. Congress ended that credit on Sept. 30, 2025. Slate has since set the truck's starting price at $24,950, with production planned to begin in late 2026 at its Indiana plant and first deliveries scheduled for the end of the year. The company says it has taken more than 150,000 refundable reservations (InsideEVs; GoAuto).

Solar's role in rural India

Away from the data-center boom, small solar installations are changing daily life in parts of the developing world. In remote villages in India's Karnataka state, solar-powered health clinics now provide basic tests and care where there was once no reliable electricity, cutting long journeys to distant hospitals.

The climate backdrop

Britain's official climate adviser, the Climate Change Committee, warned in April 2025 that the U.K. was not prepared for more frequent flooding and heat, saying progress on adapting to climate change was "too slow, has stalled, or is moving in the wrong direction" and highlighting risks to food supply, infrastructure, health and housing.

Sources