“We made oil and gas great again through the shale revolution. We can make nuclear energy great again through nuclear recycling.

A decade ago, America was on the brink of energy decline. We were dependent on foreign oil, vulnerable to geopolitical shocks, and burdened by high energy costs. Then came the shale revolution—an American innovation story that unlocked vast reserves of oil and natural gas, restored energy independence, and revitalized our economy. By leveraging technology and private sector ingenuity, we turned an industry once considered in decline into a global powerhouse. Today, we stand at a similar crossroads with nuclear energy. The solution? Recycling nuclear fuel.

The Forgotten Powerhouse

Nuclear energy is America’s most underutilized clean energy resource. It provides nearly 20% of our electricity and over 50% of our carbon-free energy, yet we treat it like a problem rather than a solution. While wind and solar get subsidies and favorable policies, nuclear plants struggle with regulatory red tape and outdated economic models. Worse, our current approach to nuclear fuel is a national embarrassment.

Read more in RealClearEnergy here.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.