Nuclear energy is undergoing a new wave of popularity as a carbon-neutral energy source in this era of energy-intensive data centers and artificial intelligence, according to former Nuclear Regulatory Commission chair Chris Hanson.

“Public support for nuclear hasn’t been this high in decades, or maybe forever,” he said.

“There’s a big interest in nuclear in order to meet what could be a really big spike in need for electricity in the next few years, Hanson said.”

Hanson, a 1993 Valparaiso University graduate, spoke Nov. 6 during a lifelong learning webinar sponsored by the VU Career and Alumni Network.

“There’s just a huge growth of interest in nuclear power in, say, the last five years,” he said. Fueling that demand are not just AI and data centers but also the proliferation of electr

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