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Trump promised America's 'nuclear Renaissance.' How's it going?

This aerial view shows the Perry Nuclear Power Plant on the shores of Lake Erie in North Perry, Ohio, May 20, 2005. (Mark Duncan/AP)
Mark Duncan/AP
This aerial view shows the Perry Nuclear Power Plant on the shores of Lake Erie in North Perry, Ohio, May 20, 2005. (Mark Duncan/AP)

The Trump administration has promised a “nuclear energy renaissance,” backing plans to build a fleet of new power plants and reopen at least three that were recently mothballed.

As electricity demand rises, politicians are reconsidering a power source long plagued by high costs and lengthy construction timelines. How big a role will nuclear play in the country’s future energy mix?

We speak with Katy Huff, associate professor at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. She was the Department of Energy’s assistant secretary for the Office of Nuclear Energy from 2022 to 2024.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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