Nuclear Is Surging. The Real Question Is Timing

InnovationSustainabilityNuclear Is Surging. The Real Question Is TimingByElena Bou,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Elena Bou, Co-Founder, InnoEnergyFollow AuthorMay 28, 2026, 08:12am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Journalists climb into the cooling tower of the third and fourth unit still under construction at Mochovce nuclear power plant, western Slovakia, on July 2, 2019. Top Slovak power producer Slovenske Elektrarne (SE) operates the nuclear power plant in Mochovce. Launching of the two new units has been a cause for concern in neighbouring Austria, which has repeatedly criticised what it insists are their poor safety standards. (Photo by VLADIMIR SIMICEK / AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesFew energy sources have been debated, challenged and revived as often as nuclear power.What makes the current cycle different is that the evidence is showing up in policy, capital markets and corporate power deals.Washington wants to quadruple U.S. nuclear capacity by 2050 and fast-track advanced reactor permits, with the aim of restoring the United States’ position as a global leader in nuclear energy.1 Microsoft, Amazon and Google have all signed deals with advanced reactor and fusion developers, and Washington and Tokyo recently announced a USD 40 billion SMR programme for Tennessee and Alabama. Capital is moving back into a sector many had long written off.Europe is moving too. In March 2026, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called Europe's retreat from nuclear power a “strategic mistake” and pledged €200 million for a new generation of small modular reactors.Investments in nuclear have grown by more than 70% over the past five years, and the International Energy Agency (IEA) expects nuclear spending to top USD 100 billion annually under stated policies. More than 40 countries are now revising their nucl...