Promoting a Realistic Nuclear Narrative for Democrats — Lessons from France, Tech, and U.S. Trends

I surprised myself recently. Despite my longstanding vow as a progressive to steer clear of Murdoch-owned media, I broke that commitment—signing up for the Wall Street Journal specifically to access a crucial article recommended by my colleague at Earthrise Accord.

The piece, titled "Trump Wants to Expand Nuclear Power in the U.S. He Faces Big Challenges," presents an incisive examination of America’s current nuclear policy landscape, highlighting the tension between ambitious federal proposals and deeply entrenched political, regulatory, and economic obstacles. Reading this article reinforced for me, yet again, how rarely nuclear policy is seriously debated or considered within progressive circles. It highlighted how frequently I find myself at odds with my own progressive community when advocating for nuclear realism—and underscored the deep discomfort I feel whenever my policy positions superficially align with something promoted by Donald Trump. To be absolutely clear, my motivations and values have nothing in common with his reasons for promoting any policy.

As a progressive environmentalist, I've long recognized that supporting nuclear energy as a critical climate solution places me in an unusual—and frequently contentious—position within my own political circles in the US. Unlike Europe, where progressive and environmentalist support for nuclear energy is increasingly mainstream, the U.S. progressive movement remains strongly influenced by legacy environmental organizations and an embedded "renewables-only" ideology.

This anti-nuclear stance, often rooted more in historical anxieties, outdated misinformation, and significant ignorance about the actual history and safety record of nuclear fission—including misconceptions around waste management, economic viability, and recent technological advancements—severely constrains center and left understandings of the science and facts surrounding fission power. As a result, it severely limits America's climate strategy, preventing progressives from fully embracing the most effective paths to decarbonization.

For authoritative scientific corroboration of all of these claims, see MIT's landmark report, The Future of Nuclear Energy in a Carbon-Constrained World.

In the reflections and analyses that follow, I aim to confront these internal tensions head-on, clearly articulating why progressive environmentalists must embrace nuclear power as an essential component of an equitable, realistic, and science-driven climate strategy. By examining lessons from France’s successful nuclear energy program, addressing deeply embedded anti-nuclear biases within American progressive circles, and emphasizing nuclear energy’s vital role in advancing economic justice and technological innovation, I seek to demonstrate that nuclear realism aligns fundamentally with the values of the Democratic Party's progressive wing. My goal is to reclaim nuclear energy from partisan distortions and entrenched misinformation, repositioning it as an indispensable pillar of a genuinely progressive, equitable, and climate-resilient future.

Why Nuclear “Realism” Matters Now

Public support for nuclear power is notably rising in the United States, reflecting a shift in perceptions across political lines. Recent polling underscores this trend: according to Gallup's March 2025 data, 74% of Republicans, 64% of independents, and even 46% of Democrats support nuclear energy. Pew Research similarly indicates robust bipartisan backing, with 69% of Republicans and a substantial 52% of Democrats favoring the expansion of nuclear power plants. Remarkably, the partisan gap on nuclear energy—hovering between 17 and 23 percentage points—is significantly narrower compared to other energy-related issues, suggesting a potential common ground for bipartisan action on energy policy.

Historically, France provides a compelling and instructive example demonstrating that it has always been possible—and strategically beneficial—to combine left-progressive politics with strong support for nuclear energy. Beginning in earnest under socialist and progressive governments in the 1970s and 1980s, France embarked on one of the most ambitious nuclear programs in history, explicitly viewing nuclear power as essential for energy independence, economic stability, and environmental protection.

This forward-looking strategy was extraordinarily successful: today, France generates approximately 70% of its electricity from nuclear energy, the highest proportion in the world, enabling it to achieve among the lowest per-capita greenhouse gas emissions in Europe. France's nuclear program has effectively stabilized its energy costs, safeguarded national energy security, and significantly reduced its reliance on imported fossil fuels. By decisively embracing nuclear power as a progressive priority, France not only united its political spectrum but also created an enduring model of climate-resilient prosperity that continues to benefit its citizens today.

In today's United States, it is, unfortunately, the explosive growth of generative artificial intelligence, data centers, and other energy-intensive tech infrastructure—not the compelling example of France's longstanding nuclear success—that has reignited interest in nuclear fission. Big tech's rapidly escalating demand for stable, carbon-free baseload power has forced policymakers to reconsider nuclear power’s role in the energy mix.

Yet, America should have embraced nuclear decades ago based on France’s clear demonstration that nuclear energy is clean, safe, cost-effective, and that waste management—far from being an insurmountable challenge—is practical and straightforward when handled responsibly. The renewed U.S. attention to nuclear energy is long overdue; it shouldn't have required the rise of AI and tech's enormous appetite for power to recognize what France has convincingly demonstrated for half a century.

Nuclear energy's political dynamics remain complex, particularly given former President Donald Trump's aggressive recent executive orders that seek to quadruple U.S. nuclear capacity, introduce an expedited 18-month licensing process, fundamentally restructure the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and significantly expand nuclear siting across federal lands. Trump's motives, driven primarily by self-interest and an eagerness to appease powerful corporate players in tech and defense sectors, represent precisely the wrong rationale for meaningful nuclear policy reform.

Nevertheless, genuine and thoughtful reform of NRC regulations is long overdue—not for the narrow benefit of corporate or political interests, but because decades of deliberate misinformation and obstruction by legacy environmental groups, often backed by fossil fuel funding, have created unnecessary regulatory burdens and extensive bureaucratic delays. These artificial barriers have profoundly undermined America's ability to fully utilize safe, economically viable, and climate-essential nuclear energy, a reality thoroughly documented in Michael Shellenberger’s influential analysis, "The War on Nuclear."

Recognizing this complexity, Earthrise Accord and Fenton Communications must advocate for nuclear "realism": an evidence-based approach that insists on transparency, rigorous safety standards, innovation, and equitable economic benefits. Democrats and progressives should decisively reject Trump's cynical, deregulation-driven motivations, instead embracing thoughtful regulatory reform modeled on France’s successful nuclear framework. Such reform must streamline approvals, reduce unnecessary bureaucratic impediments identified repeatedly by Abundance Agenda proponents, and rigorously ensure safety and meaningful community oversight. In taking this nuanced and principled stance, nuclear energy can genuinely transcend partisan lines, reclaiming its rightful place as a central pillar of sustainable growth, climate progress, and progressive policymaking in the United States.

MIT’s Authoritative Case Against the "Renewables-Only" Ideology

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s landmark study, The Future of Nuclear Energy in a Carbon-Constrained World, provides powerful scientific corroboration that radically undermines the "renewables-only" ideology currently dominant within the Democratic Party and the broader progressive environmental sphere—including influential institutions such as the United Nations. By directly confronting and refuting many common misconceptions and exaggerated concerns—around safety, waste management, economic viability, and technological advancement—the MIT report explicitly demonstrates that a meaningful integration of nuclear energy is essential, not optional, for achieving effective and equitable decarbonization.

Critically, the MIT analysis exposes the fundamental limitations and risks inherent in a purely renewables-driven strategy, emphasizing that excluding nuclear power would lead to significantly higher costs and greater challenges in stabilizing electrical grids reliant on intermittent solar and wind sources. Without substantial nuclear capacity, achieving deep decarbonization becomes considerably more expensive and technically complex, potentially jeopardizing timely climate action and disproportionately affecting vulnerable and frontline communities.

Regarding safety, MIT’s rigorous evaluation highlights nuclear power’s exceptional historical safety record, enhanced further by contemporary reactor designs and modern regulatory standards. The study also systematically debunks myths regarding nuclear waste, demonstrating clearly that waste volumes are minimal, safely contained, and reliably managed with existing technologies. Furthermore, the report stresses how innovations in nuclear reactor technologies—such as advanced reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs)—are not only improving safety and waste management but also driving down costs and enabling more rapid deployment.

For the Democratic Party and progressive environmentalists, the MIT findings represent a powerful, evidence-based rebuke of the entrenched "renewables-only" mindset. By clearly illustrating how nuclear power complements renewables, reduces overall costs, and ensures grid reliability, this authoritative analysis underscores that genuine climate progress cannot occur without embracing nuclear energy as a central pillar. Adopting the MIT report’s conclusions can help Democrats realign climate strategy toward a more realistic, effective, and socially just approach—one rooted in scientific rigor rather than outdated ideology.

Confronting Anti-Nuclear Bias Within Democratic and Progressive Climate Circles

A critical challenge facing the promotion of nuclear realism, especially within the Democratic Party and progressive environmental communities, is overcoming the deeply embedded anti-nuclear ideology prevalent in these circles. Frequently disguised behind seemingly progressive stances such as "renewables-only," this perspective marginalizes nuclear energy despite compelling historical evidence—such as France’s remarkable nuclear-driven decarbonization—and clear scientific consensus regarding nuclear's essential role in effective climate policy.

This ingrained bias isn't incidental; rather, it has emerged over decades through sustained misinformation, much of it originating from respected environmental organizations and subtly reinforced by fossil fuel interests. Influential groups historically favored by progressives, including the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and NRDC, have promoted misleading narratives about nuclear safety, economic viability, and waste management, transforming manageable technical and regulatory challenges into exaggerated existential fears. In reality, nuclear power remains among the safest and most reliable forms of carbon-free electricity generation, and solutions for nuclear waste have been demonstrably secure, efficient, and manageable for decades. Economic concerns, frequently cited to undermine nuclear development, are largely rooted in outdated regulatory burdens rather than inherent limitations of the technology itself.

Earthrise Accord can play a pivotal role within Democratic and progressive circles by directly challenging these persistent misconceptions and reframing nuclear power as a fundamentally progressive climate solution. By emphasizing nuclear energy’s proven record of rapidly decarbonizing power sectors, stabilizing energy prices, and promoting equitable economic opportunities—including high-quality union jobs—Earthrise Accord can shift prevailing Democratic narratives toward realism and effectiveness. Through targeted educational initiatives, policy outreach, and coalition-building that emphasizes transparency, scientific accuracy, and economic justice, Earthrise Accord can significantly reshape internal Democratic Party dialogues around nuclear energy.

Ultimately, overcoming these long-standing biases requires a commitment to truthful and courageous discourse within progressive spaces, highlighting that genuinely progressive climate strategies must include nuclear energy as a cornerstone solution. By clearly and consistently presenting nuclear energy as aligned with Democratic values—climate justice, economic equity, and technological innovation—Earthrise Accord can ensure nuclear energy is recognized as an indispensable pillar of any realistic, comprehensive approach to addressing climate change.

The Political Paradox: Trump’s Pro-Nuclear Blueprint

The political dynamics surrounding nuclear energy remain intricate and contentious, particularly given former President Donald Trump's recent aggressive executive orders to dramatically expand U.S. nuclear capacity, establish an expedited 18-month licensing process, fundamentally overhaul the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and significantly expand nuclear facility siting across federal lands. Trump's motivations—primarily driven by self-interest and catering to powerful corporate interests in the tech and defense sectors—present a problematic rationale for nuclear policy reform. However, the fact remains that genuine NRC regulatory reform is overdue, though certainly not for the narrow benefit of corporate interests. Decades of deliberate misinformation and obstruction by legacy environmental groups, frequently funded by fossil fuel interests, have imposed burdensome and unnecessary bureaucratic red tape. This has significantly impaired America's ability to capitalize on nuclear energy's immense potential for safe, economical, and essential climate action, as meticulously documented by environmental analysts like Michael Shellenberger in "The War on Nuclear."

In this complex landscape, Democrats cannot support outright deregulation that risks compromising safety standards, but they can and should advocate vigorously for streamlined, transparent modernization inspired by France’s exemplary nuclear governance. This includes maintaining rigorous safety protocols and comprehensive community oversight, ensuring public confidence while reducing bureaucratic delays.

Aligning Nuclear Energy with the Democrats’ Abundance Agenda

The Democratic Party’s ongoing shift toward the Abundance Agenda—a vision prioritizing prosperity, technological optimism, and equitable economic growth—aligns inherently with nuclear energy’s capacity to provide abundant, reliable, carbon-free power. As emphasized in Earthrise Accord’s analysis "Abundance or Austerity: Nuclear Energy, Political Dysfunction, and the U.S. Climate Crossroads," this progressive realignment cannot succeed without nuclear as a cornerstone strategy.

Yet, as outlined in "Progressives Against Abundance" by Alex Trembath at The Breakthrough Institute, segments of the progressive movement remain resistant, wrongly equating environmental responsibility with austerity and intermittent renewable energy solutions alone. To fully integrate the Abundance Agenda into mainstream Democratic priorities, Earthrise Accord and Fenton Communications must champion nuclear realism as fundamentally progressive:

• Accelerating rapid decarbonization, thus ensuring stable, affordable energy for historically disadvantaged communities.

  
  

• Supporting robust industrial policy centered around advanced nuclear technologies, which generate well-compensated, unionized employment opportunities.

  
  

• Establishing American global leadership in clean energy innovation, particularly in advanced reactor technology, to counteract authoritarian dominance in global energy markets.

Explicitly aligning nuclear power with the Abundance Agenda enables Democrats to reclaim nuclear energy as integral to achieving economic equity, environmental justice, and sustainable prosperity.

Strategic Recommendations for Earthrise Accord & Fenton Communications

Highlight Nuclear’s Proven Bipartisan Success

• Emphasize France’s nuclear energy program as a definitive example of bipartisan success. Initiated under progressive and socialist leadership, the French program was adopted across the political spectrum due to its effectiveness in achieving rapid decarbonization, economic stability, and energy independence.

• Clearly position nuclear power as a vital complement—not competitor—to renewable energy, highlighting how stable, carbon-free nuclear baseload energy enhances the efficiency and reliability of solar and wind infrastructure, providing a holistic, realistic climate strategy.

Frame Nuclear as a Catalyst for Climate and Technological Innovation

• Communicate nuclear energy's critical role in meeting the rapidly escalating energy demands of emerging technologies such as generative AI, expansive data centers, and high-tech manufacturing, sectors that require dependable, carbon-free power around the clock.

• Showcase tangible, innovative projects—such as planned nuclear-powered AI campuses and data hubs—as real-world evidence of nuclear’s essential contribution to the sustainable growth of technology industries, reinforcing its necessity in contemporary climate and economic policies.

Support Modernization and Strong Safety Standards

• Advocate vigorously for reforming the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), emphasizing that reforms must streamline licensing processes, improve transparency, and significantly reduce unnecessary bureaucratic delays without compromising rigorous safety and oversight standards.

• Demand clear, enforceable timelines and enhanced accountability measures to ensure that regulatory modernization genuinely serves public safety and community interests rather than corporate expediency.

Advance Small Modular and Advanced Reactor Technologies

• Actively promote advanced reactors and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) as safer, more cost-effective, scalable alternatives to traditional large-scale reactors, avoiding high-profile budgetary and schedule overruns exemplified by traditional projects like Vogtle.

• Champion the expansion of DOE-funded pilot programs and incentives for modular reactor designs, advocating for policies that support factory-based construction methods and standardized reactor components to reduce financial risks and enhance the practicality of rapid deployment.

Build Trust through Community Engagement and Transparency

• Foster public trust and community buy-in by ensuring genuine transparency and robust public participation in nuclear siting and regulatory decisions, emphasizing meaningful civil-society engagement and collaborative decision-making processes.

• Encourage transparent, accountable public-private partnerships that proactively include local communities, stakeholders, and independent experts, thereby reinforcing confidence that nuclear development prioritizes safety, environmental protection, and local benefits.

Connect Nuclear Energy Clearly to Progressive Values

• Clearly articulate nuclear energy’s pivotal role in promoting environmental justice, emphasizing its potential to deliver stable, affordable, and carbon-free energy to underserved, historically disadvantaged, and frontline communities disproportionately affected by fossil-fuel pollution.

• Highlight the extensive economic and employment benefits associated with nuclear energy, particularly the creation of stable, high-quality, unionized jobs, thereby aligning nuclear policy directly with progressive labor values and broader socioeconomic equity goals.

Clarifying Progressive Nuclear Realism: Values, Concerns, and Actions

Explicit Alignment with Progressive Ideals

Nuclear power inherently aligns with progressive ideals, proactively advancing environmental justice by providing clean, reliable, and affordable energy to marginalized communities most impacted by fossil-fuel pollution. Moreover, nuclear development promotes broad economic equity through stable, well-paid, unionized jobs in emerging technology and innovation sectors, ensuring equitable distribution of economic benefits across diverse communities.

Directly Addressing Common Progressive Concerns

Progressive skepticism about nuclear energy often arises from genuine historical anxieties, including prominent nuclear incidents (e.g., Fukushima, Chernobyl) and proliferation fears. While understandable, these concerns frequently reflect outdated or incomplete information. Advances in modern reactor designs, stringent regulatory frameworks, and international oversight have dramatically enhanced nuclear safety, making nuclear power today far safer than ongoing reliance on fossil fuels. Importantly, peaceful nuclear power technologies must be clearly distinguished from nuclear weapons programs; supporting civilian nuclear power in no way equates to endorsing nuclear proliferation or military applications.

Clearly Differentiating Progressive Nuclear Policy from Conservative Agendas

Former President Trump’s aggressive nuclear policy proposals, driven primarily by narrow corporate interests and deregulation, have complicated progressive support for urgently needed nuclear regulatory reforms. Nevertheless, progressive leaders must reclaim and clearly redefine this critical issue. Meaningful Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reforms are necessary not to support Trump's corporate-driven deregulation agenda, but specifically to correct longstanding regulatory distortions caused by decades of misinformation campaigns from legacy environmental groups—often covertly funded by fossil fuel interests.

As argued above, these campaigns have entrenched unnecessary bureaucratic barriers and excessive regulatory burdens on nuclear power, significantly increasing construction costs in the United States. This inflated cost structure has enabled a circular and self-serving argument: opponents first claim nuclear power is unsafe and demand stringent, costly regulations; then they point to the resulting high construction costs as evidence that nuclear is economically unviable. Progressive nuclear policy, therefore, should emphasize transparency, rigorous safety standards, streamlined yet accountable regulation, robust community oversight, and democratic accountability—mirroring the approach successfully adopted decades ago by France’s progressive leadership, resulting in the rapid and substantial decarbonization of their electrical grid.

A Progressive Call to Action

To fully realize nuclear realism as a progressive priority, Democrats and aligned organizations must take definitive steps:

• Actively champion legislative initiatives designed to responsibly modernize nuclear reactor licensing procedures, streamline regulatory processes, and ensure comprehensive safety oversight.

• Facilitate informed grassroots community engagement through transparent, evidence-based advocacy highlighting nuclear energy’s proven benefits, safety record, and progressive alignment.

• Fund and implement extensive educational campaigns specifically designed to correct misinformation, address persistent myths, and build robust public understanding of contemporary nuclear safety, waste management, and economic realities.

By embracing these actionable strategies, progressive leaders and organizations can position themselves as genuine climate champions—effectively addressing climate change through an equitable, realistic, and innovative energy transition rooted in progressive values.

Conclusion: A New Progressive Vision for Nuclear Energy and Climate Justice

To fully realize the immense potential of nuclear energy in the United States, Earthrise Accord must champion a clear, credible, and progressive narrative centered on nuclear realism. This approach demands transparency, evidence-based policymaking, rigorous safety oversight, and an unwavering commitment to environmental justice. As demonstrated by France’s successful nuclear build-out led by progressive governments, and as further underscored by emerging U.S. bipartisan support, nuclear power is not inherently partisan—it is fundamentally pragmatic. America’s urgent climate challenge, escalating energy needs, and the imperative for equitable economic development necessitate a swift shift away from outdated ideological biases toward embracing nuclear as an essential component of a comprehensive, sustainable energy strategy.

While former President Trump’s recent nuclear initiatives highlight the pressing need for NRC regulatory reform, Democrats and progressive advocates must reclaim this reform process. Rather than accepting nuclear policy as a domain shaped by deregulation and special interests, Earthrise Accord can redefine it as an arena driven by accountability, public trust, and evidence-based modernization. Streamlined yet rigorous regulatory frameworks can eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic barriers that have historically hindered nuclear innovation, enabling rapid, large-scale deployment of advanced nuclear reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs)—technologies that promise substantial carbon reductions, grid resilience, and robust economic benefits.

Earthrise Accord is uniquely positioned to address and dismantle the deep-seated anti-nuclear bias still prevalent within progressive and environmental circles. By actively confronting misinformation that has wrongly stigmatized nuclear power, Earthrise Accord can reshape the Democratic Party’s narrative around nuclear energy, clarifying its essential role in achieving equitable, abundant, and carbon-free prosperity. Highlighting nuclear energy’s proven contributions to job creation, community stability, public health, and climate resilience can build progressive coalitions around nuclear as a fundamentally equitable climate solution.

Moreover, embracing nuclear energy aligns closely with the emerging Democratic Abundance Agenda. By advocating for nuclear energy’s central role in an abundant, prosperous future, Earthrise Accord can counter harmful scarcity-based narratives and demonstrate that ambitious climate action need not require economic austerity or reduced living standards. Instead, advanced nuclear technologies offer an opportunity to simultaneously achieve rapid decarbonization, create high-quality unionized jobs, and foster technological innovation—paving the way for an environmentally just and economically vibrant future.

Ultimately, the path forward requires Democrats and progressive allies to fully acknowledge nuclear energy’s indispensable role in addressing climate change effectively. Earthrise Accord’s mission is clear: facilitate a robust, fact-based dialogue about nuclear energy within progressive communities, craft progressive policies supporting regulatory modernization and technological advancement, and build inclusive coalitions focused on climate realism, economic equity, and environmental justice. By embracing this comprehensive, progressive vision of nuclear realism, Democrats can lead a transformative energy transition that meets the urgency of climate science, delivers tangible benefits to frontline and marginalized communities, and secures a resilient, abundant, and just future for generations to come.