U.S. nuclear power faces strong fundamentals and practical barriers

The U.S. has deep capital and electricity markets, abundant land, strong technology talent and bipartisan government support—advantages that could make it possible to place a gigawatt of power. But electricity is relatively cheap, construction requires costly skilled labor, sites are hard to approve, and the utility system is fragmented among states and investor-owned companies, leaving questions about who benefits from projects and who bears the risks.

The country also lacks a workforce trained for the nuclear industry. Some nuclear companies have built their first plants in Southeast Asia and elsewhere internationally. One proposed outcome is to develop the technology in the U.S. while building plants in places where construction is easier; there is also hope that the industry can grow in America.