Nebraska needs a nuclear energy strategy

Nebraska Public Power District's Cooper Nuclear Station near Brownville, Nebraska. (Courtesy of NPPD)

In February 2021, thousands of Nebraskans found themselves in the dark of rolling blackouts. A brutal polar vortex froze wind turbines, strained natural gas supplies and exposed serious weaknesses in our energy grid. However, even as multiple power sources failed, one remained steadfast — nuclear energy.

That moment was a wake-up call. We can no longer afford to treat energy policy as a matter of convenience or short-term cost. To avoid future blackouts and maintain affordable, resilient, firm and reliable power, Nebraska needs nuclear energy. Wind and solar are intermittent. Natural gas is a vital bridge fuel, but it is vulnerable to supply shocks in extreme weather. This is about build