Donald Trump and Kathy Hochul have both come out swinging for nuclear energy. They’re pushing it hard, but for different reasons. Hochul, the Governor of New York, thinks it’s the magic bullet for the state’s climate targets.
She’s looking at nuclear as the answer to hitting those 2030 goals laid out in New York’s 2019 climate plan. But now, she’s realizing the state might need more than wind and solar to get there. She’s talking nuclear to fill the gaps.
Meanwhile, Trump sees nuclear energy as the key to powering America’s future in artificial intelligence. He said America needs to double its electricity production to stay ahead in the AI game.
“We’re going to create tremendous electricity for our country. AI needs that. It’s like the oil of the future.”
Hochul wants nuclear energy to help New York meet its aggressive climate targets. The state’s 2019 climate agenda aimed high, pushing for massive carbon cuts and a shift to renewables. But reality’s been a bit harsher.
Wind and solar aren’t enough, and Hochul knows it. That’s where nuclear comes in. She’s banking on it to provide steady, reliable power that doesn’t mess with the state’s carbon goals.
Nuclear, she argues, is what’s needed to bridge the gap between ambition and reality. But this is also about keeping New York’s energy grid strong. Hochul’s aware that nuclear power can provide the kind of consistent power that renewables, with all their ups and downs, just can’t.
Trump’s okay with fossil fuels if it means boosting nuclear. The goal is clear: keep America at the forefront of tech by any means necessary. And he’s not too worried about the fallout.
“We’ll be creating so much electricity,” he said, “you’ll be begging me to stop.”
