Nuclear power, a controversial energy source, is getting renewed attention from climate activists and energy providers alike.

Advocates believe that the three remaining nuclear power plants in New York state will be instrumental in getting to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act's 2040 goal of emissions-free and carbon-free electric generation.

But the overall public in the U.S. remains mixed. In 2021, 50% of U.S. adults wanted the country to increase nuclear energy production by building more plants, according to Pew Research Center. 

Matt Huber, professor of geography and the environment, says negative views from Democrats, and especially progressive Democrats, come from the 1960s counter-cultural environmentalist and anti-war movement for what was then the “New Left.”

“It’s a generational thing,” Huber says. “A lot of younger generations are really fixated on climate and understand that nuclear is one our best options to deal with climate, so we gotta keep it on the table.”