Blue States Consider Nuclear Power To Replace Wind And Solar

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), Monday directed the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to develop and construct a nuclear power plant of not less than one gigawatt. The new plant was needed, Hochul said in her announcement, in order “to support a reliable and affordable electric grid, while providing the necessary zero-emission electricity to achieve a clean energy economy.”

It was a surprising announcement for a state that closed and dismantled the Indian Point nuclear power plant only five years ago. The consideration of nuclear in the energy mix is part of a pattern seen in other blue states committed to eliminating electricity generated from fossil fuels. California has now delayed the closure of its only nuclear power plant, and Michigan is looking to restart a previously shuttered nuclear power plant.

In all three cases, it appears that the states are coming to grips with the reality that intermittent wind and solar backed up by short-duration, expensive grid-scale batteries won’t be enough to supply the power needs of the state, especially as AI places more demands on the grid. Still clinging to the hope of a fossil fuel-free grid, these states are looking to nuclear as a more politically tenable option.

Dispatchable emissions-free resources
The year before New York closed the Indian Point nuclear power plant, the state had signed into law a plan to reduce its emissions by 85% below 1990 levels. The plan calls for the state to rely on wind, solar and batteries, primarily. It also called for the closure of 20 gigawatts of dispatchable natural-gas-fired power plants.

While the original plan made no mention of nuclear power, the scoping plan developed in 2023, which laid out a theoretical pathway to achieve the goals the Climate Act set forth in 2019, made numerous mentions of nuclear, though with a limited commitment.