In a political era defined by trench warfare over climate and fossil fuels, one clean energy technology has quietly become the rare point of agreement in Washington. Nuclear power, once a third rail in environmental debates, is now drawing support from both Democrats and Republicans who see it as a way to cut emissions without sacrificing reliability.
That bipartisan embrace is reshaping federal spending, permitting fights and even Wall Street bets, as lawmakers and investors treat nuclear as a cornerstone of a lower carbon grid. The result is a fast evolving landscape in which nuclear sits alongside geothermal and efficiency programs, not as a rival, but as the backbone of a broader clean energy coalition.
Why nuclear suddenly looks like common ground
For years, nuclear energy was framed as a culture war issue, tied to fears about accidents and waste on one side and to nostalgia for mid century megaprojects on the other. I now see a different picture emerging, one where nuclear is treated as a practical tool for keeping the lights on while cutting carbon, and that shift is visible in public opinion as well as in elite politics. A survey of Americans at the start of President Trump’s second term found that, while wind and solar remain broadly popular, support for those sources has softened, creating space for alternatives that promise round the clock power.
That opening has benefited nuclear. One investor focused analysis reported that Sixty nine per cent of Republican voters and Republican leaning independents now back nuclear power plants, compared with 52 per cent of Democrats and Democratic leaners, a partisan gap but not a chasm. Separate polling on Views by party shows support for expanding nuclear has risen in both camps since 2020, even as attitudes on coal mining and oil drilling remain sharply divided. In other words, nuclear is not just tolerated across the aisle, it is one of the few energy options that both sides are moving toward rather than away from.
From campaign rhetoric to concrete policy
Public sentiment would matter less if it were not being translated into budgets and laws, but that is exactly what is happening. A recent overview of energy trends noted that The Trump administration plans to invest $80 billion in nuclear power plants designed by a private company, a signal that the White House sees advanced reactors as central to its energy and industrial strategy. That same report framed the analysis as Unbiased and grounded in Straight Facts, underscoring how mainstream this nuclear push has become in policy circles.
On Capitol Hill, nuclear is increasingly described as the rare area where energy hawks and climate hawks overlap. One policy brief on Nuclear Support framed it as Energy Policy Washington Agrees On, noting that, While energy policy in the US tends to be polarizing, nuclear energy enjoys bipartisan backing that has carried over into the Trump Administration. That consensus is not just rhetorical. It is reflected in appropriations fights, where House Republicans have used spending bills to promote what they call American strength in energy, and in broader packages framed around Restoring American Energy and preserving America’s advantage over adversaries.
Permitting, geothermal and the new clean energy coalition
The nuclear boomlet is not happening in isolation. It is part of a broader realignment in which both parties are rethinking how to build low carbon infrastructure faster, from reactors to geothermal wells. Advocates like By Dana Nuccitelli, a CCL Research Coordinator, argue that Permitting reform has become one of the most important levers for cutting climate pollution, because today’s rules slow everything from transmission lines to advanced reactors. In the Senate, Hearings in Fall 2025 on the SPEED Act highlighted bipartisan frustration with an outdated NEPA process that delays projects the modern economy depends on.
Geothermal has emerged as a surprising beneficiary of that permitting push, and it offers a useful contrast that helps explain nuclear’s appeal. One detailed explainer notes that Geothermal uses pipes and liquid, often water, to tap the Earth’s steady temperature of around 55 degrees underground, turning that constant heat into reliable power and heating. Another section of the same reporting points out that, as brutal cold has gripped much of the country and heating demand has surged, natural gas prices have spiked as much as 60 percent, prompting cities and companies to invest millions in geothermal energy as a hedge against volatile fuel costs. That bipartisan interest in geothermal does not undercut nuclear’s status as the central bipartisan clean energy workhorse, but it does show how a wider portfolio of firm, low carbon resources is starting to attract cross party support.
How bipartisan bills are reshaping the project pipeline
On the legislative front, some of the most telling developments are happening in bills that never mention nuclear in their titles but still shape its future. Representative Young Kim has championed a measure to power U.S. energy independence, and her office describes how, for projects on non federal land where the United States holds only a minor stake, the bill would ensure development can move forward without unnecessary delays, a change laid out in detail on her Sep news page. A related description of the bipartisan HEATS Act emphasizes that the legislation would streamline approvals for geothermal and other clean projects, a point highlighted in a separate bipartisan statement that frames the bill as a way to cut red tape without weakening safeguards.
Permitting changes are also surfacing in more targeted geothermal legislation. A slate of measures to speed drilling on federal land has drawn support from both parties, with one report noting that Parties have united behind geothermal permitting bills and that the administration also expressed support for the legislation. On the executive side, The BLM has signaled that it is committed to supporting the responsible growth of geothermal energy on public lands, with The BLM Director Tracy Stone describing how new technologies can tap hot rock without the same dependence on naturally occurring steam and water as traditional geothermal systems. Those same permitting reforms and land use precedents will matter for advanced nuclear, which often needs similar transmission access and community engagement.
The quiet infrastructure that makes nuclear politically durable
Behind the marquee debates over reactors and drilling, a quieter set of bipartisan decisions is building the infrastructure that makes nuclear politically sustainable. One advocacy roundup noted that, On Jan. 23, a bipartisan negotiated funding package that included the Interior and Environment also boosted money for the Environmental Protection Ag and for the Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office, which works on efficiency standards that reduce overall demand. In parallel, Congress has fully funded the Energy Star program for 2026, backing a suite of labels and tools that help building owners track and cut consumption, and that, in turn, makes it easier to integrate steady nuclear output with flexible demand.
Corporate decisions are reinforcing that political foundation. In Eastern Oregon, Amazon has announced plans to use next generation nuclear technology to power data centers, a move that one analyst said will likely require federal backing and will depend on both Democrats and Republicans who support it, as described in an interview about federal backing for the project. That kind of high profile deployment, paired with bipartisan appropriations and permitting reforms, helps explain why nuclear has become the surprising clean energy source that both parties are willing to champion, even as they continue to battle over almost everything else in the energy mix.
More from Morning Overview