Decades after a tense N.H. protest, nuclear energy has become a rare bipartisan issue. Here's why.
. To subscribe,
.
TODAY'S STARTING POINT
As a college sophomore at Wesleyan in 1977, Fred Hewett was a self-described nerd who spent most of his time in the library, chemistry lab, or playing Frisbee. He largely avoided politics. But even he couldn't miss the chaotic scene unfolding in Seabrook, N.H., where thousands of environmental activists were trying to block the construction of a nuclear power plant.
The 1977 protests, which helped delay the opening of the Seabrook plant until 1990, led to 1,400 arrests. They also reflected the idea, common among liberal activists then, that nuclear power was dangerous. 'Being antinuclear was part of environmentalism,' said Hewett, who followed the Seabrook protests in local media.
But
over the years, as Hewett became a writer on energy issues and learned more about the threat of climate change, the criticisms of nuclear power he once sympathized with began to seem wrong-headed. In 2023, he
Advertisement
Hewett is among a growing contingent of liberals embracing nuclear power as a complement to solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources. Strong majorities of Republicans and independents
Advertisement
Today's newsletter explains why both parties have gotten more bullish on nuclear — and why it still faces opposition.
The liberal case
Even factoring in the climate costs of building and fueling power plants, nuclear power is a far cleaner source of electricity than oil, natural gas, or coal. It also skirts some of the downsides of renewables, such as the acreage required to scale up solar power, Hewett said.
It may better fit the political zeitgeist, too. President Trump has called renewable energy a 'scam' and tried to block the construction of coastal windmills. But he has also
'The political winds are at the back of the nuclear industry now,' Hewett said.
Hewett also argues that nuclear energy, despite its reputation, is relatively safe. Yes, there have been three major accidents over the past four decades, including Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, Chernobyl in the Soviet Union, and Fukushima in Japan. Chernobyl's death toll is disputed, but estimates from the World Health Organization and others put it
Advertisement
The conservative case
Many Republicans doubt the science of climate change and prefer fossil fuels to renewable energy; some of their enthusiasm for nuclear power may simply reflect disdain for liberals like those who tried to block Seabrook, said Andrew Cline, who leads
But Cline also argues nuclear power is more reliable than those other methods. Solar panels need daylight and turbines need wind to generate electricity; nuclear power plants can operate continuously.
National security is another motive. The US
The challenges
The bipartisan interest in nuclear power has yielded some changes already. Last year, then-President Biden
Yet hurdles to wider adoption remain. Some are economic. The up-front costs to build a nuclear power plant are high. Others are regulatory. Protesters delayed Seabrook's opening, but cost overruns and onerous government rules also contributed. In recent years, the median amount of time it took to build new reactors was
Other challenges are political. Despite converts like Hewett,
Advertisement
The right's commitment to nuclear power is also uncertain. The Trump administration has
Still, Cline sees a future in which innovation makes nuclear both a climate-friendly and low-cost energy source capable of powering everything from electric cars to artificial intelligence data centers. 'The environmentalists are looking for no emissions. The conservatives are looking for low cost and reliability,' he said. 'That would be an amazing world.'
🧩
8 Across:
84°
POINTS OF INTEREST
Muslims told Massachusetts lawmakers stories of Islamophobia during a day of lobbying at the State House yesterday.
David L. Ryan/Globe Staff
Massachusetts and New England
Karen Read retrial:
A forensic pathologist testified for the defense that a car
Islamophobia:
Muslim residents urged Massachusetts lawmakers to pass
to study issues facing Muslims in the state.
Same name, different face:
The children of several well-known New England politicians — including Senator Angus King's son and Senator Jeanne Shaheen's daughter —
Trump administration
Congresswoman charged:
A grand jury indicted Representative LaMonica McIver, a New Jersey Democrat, on charges of interfering with immigration officials during a protest outside an ICE facility last month. McIver called the charges 'a brazen attempt at political intimidation.' (
The Army turns 250:
Trump gave a campaign-style speech at Fort Bragg, where uniformed soldiers, who are supposed to be apolitical, booed Biden and 'the fake news' and cheered when Trump said he would rename a base for Robert E. Lee. (
Homeland:
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth suggested to lawmakers that the US would expand the use of troops to 'secure' the country. (
Crisis comms:
Harvard has taken
to TV, newspapers, and social media
Underwater:
Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is
Cuts:
Senators of both parties
grilled Trump's National Institutes of Health director over
Tariffs:
Higher food costs have New England restaurants
The Nation and the World
New Jersey governor's race:
Representative Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, will face Jack Ciattarelli, a Republican former state assemblyman, in November. (
LGBTQ+ rights:
The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the US, endorsed overturning the Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage. (
Austria shooting:
A gunman killed 10 people at a high school in the city of Graz. Police said the suspect, a former student, killed himself. (
Greta Thunberg:
Israel deported the Swedish climate activist and three others who tried to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza to deliver aid. (
BESIDE THE POINT
❤️
Love letters:
Is it OK to tell a friend that
😴
Say goodnight:
This TikTok trend is helping people deepen their friendships. (
🎥
TV magic:
Massachusetts gave a 'Dexter' spinoff a $23 million tax credit. Insiders say
Advertisement
🍽️
Taste of Somerville:
The annual food and arts festival, which takes place this evening at Boynton Yards, features local restaurants, breweries, and wineries. (
🤔
Gut feeling:
📚
Murder mystery:
From Ted Bundy to Gary Ridgway, lots of 20th century serial killers were products of the Pacific Northwest. A new book offers a theory. (
$
)
Thanks for reading Starting Point.
This newsletter was edited by
❓ Have a question for the team? Email us at
✍🏼 If someone sent you this newsletter, you can
📬 Delivered Monday through Friday.
Ian Prasad Philbrick can be reached at
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
California voters support EV tax incentives, but are wary of sales mandates says poll
California drivers don't want to lose their electric vehicle tax incentives, but even voters in one of the bluest states are wary about reviving plans to phase out gas cars. Voters are split down the middle on whether California should stick to its guns on its Trump-blocked plans to phase out sales of gas cars by 2035, according to an exclusive POLITICO-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab poll. Only 46 percent of the more than 1,400 registered voters surveyed said they support the policy, while 47 percent said no. Yes, there was an obvious partisan split: 60 percent of Democrats said they backed the phase-out, compared with 40 percent of independents and 31 percent of Republicans. But the results offer a note of caution for Gov. Gavin Newsom, who directed the California Air Resources Board to start writing new vehicle emissions rules after Republicans revoked the state's sales mandates for cars and heavy-duty trucks in June. 'None of us really like the idea of government intervening to take something away from us,' said Dan Sperling, a former California Air Resources Board member and director of the University of California, Davis' Institute for Transportation Studies. 'That's even the most liberal of us.' Poll respondents are more bought into Newsom's plan to backfill the soon-to-be-defunct $7,500 federal EV tax credit. Nearly two-thirds — 64 percent — said they would support state-funded tax incentives once the federal subsidy ends Sept. 30, as part of the Trump administration's ongoing attacks on clean energy policy. That question again showed a partisan divide, with 80 percent of Democrats saying they back the approach, compared with 60 percent of independent voters and just 43 percent of Republicans. But the overall result bolsters Newsom's push to backfill incentives that the Biden administration used to coax drivers off fossil fuels, as he suggested using cap-and-trade revenues last year and directed state agencies to consider in a June executive order. But Jack Citrin, a veteran political science professor at UC Berkeley and partner on the poll, said a closer look at the poll results shows that Democrats need to keep affordability in mind. He pointed to the fact that 28 percent of respondents said they'd support new EV incentives only if gas prices aren't impacted and another 20 percent said they should be reserved for low-income buyers, reflecting the fact that cost of living was the top concern of voters polled. And 64 percent of respondents said gasoline prices are putting a significant, extreme or moderate burden on their household budgets. 'That reflects a concern with the cost of all of this,' Citrin said. 'Yes, we're for environmental protection. Yes, we're for all of this, just as long as it doesn't cost a lot.' The poll comes as state agencies released a joint report Tuesday with recommendations for countering Trump's assault, calling on lawmakers to bolster tax incentives, improve charging infrastructure and regulate facilities that attract polluting trucks, but offering few specific timelines or dollar figures. CARB Chair Liane Randolph framed the report — which Newsom asked for in his June order — as a first step in the state's defense against a hostile federal government. 'Clean air efforts are under siege, putting the health of every American at risk,' she said during a press briefing. 'California is continuing to fight back and will not give up on cleaner air and better public health.' Sperling called the report a surprisingly 'modest document,' and said it lacks the specificity he hoped to see. 'The word I would use is disconcerting,' Sperling said when asked about where California stands in its fight against Trump. The POLITICO-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab poll was fielded by TrueDot, the artificial intelligence-accelerated research platform, in collaboration with the Citrin Center and Possibility Lab at UC Berkeley and POLITICO. The public opinion study, made possible in part with support from the California Constitution Center, was conducted in the field between July 28 and Aug. 12. The sample of 1,445 registered voters was selected at random by Verasight, with interviews conducted in English and Spanish, and includes an oversample of Hispanic voters. The modeled error estimate for the full sample is plus or minus 2.6 percent. The policy influencer study was conducted from July 30 to Aug. 11, among 512 subscribers to POLITICO Pro, and the modeled error estimate is plus or minus 3.7 percent. Like this content? Consider signing up for POLITICO's California Climate newsletter.
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The 2025 Political Beat Primary Candidate Guide
Charlotte residents will head to the polls to decide who should advance to the November general election for Charlotte City Council. In-person early voting starts August 21. The primary is on September 9th. Channel 9 sent key questions to all candidates. Their responses are posted unedited. ALSO READ: Where you can vote early in Charlotte for the primary election Whoever wins the primaries in Districts 1, 4, and 5 will serve on the next Charlotte City Council. There is no opposition for these seats in November. Democrats and unaffiliated voters can vote in all districts. Republicans can only vote in the District 6 primary. This is the only contested Republican race in September. Unaffiliated voters can choose the Republican ballot in District 6. See the candidates' responses in each race below: The Political Beat Candidate Guide: City of Charlotte Mayor The Political Beat Candidate Guide: Charlotte City Council At-Large The Political Beat Candidate Guide: Charlotte City Council- District 1 The Political Beat Candidate Guide: Charlotte City Council—District 3 The Political Beat Candidate Guide: Charlotte City Council—District 4 The Political Beat Candidate Guide: Charlotte City Council—District 5 The Political Beat Candidate Guide: Charlotte City Council—District 6 Use the map below to easily find your city council district and a link to our guide for the district. (WATCH BELOW: Charlotte City Council approves conversion of motel to studio apartments)
Politico
7 minutes ago
- Politico
California voters support EV tax incentives, but are wary of sales mandates says poll
That question again showed a partisan divide, with 80 percent of Democrats saying they back the approach, compared with 60 percent of independent voters and just 43 percent of Republicans. But the overall result bolsters Newsom's push to backfill incentives that the Biden administration used to coax drivers off fossil fuels, as he suggested using cap-and-trade revenues last year and directed state agencies to consider in a June executive order. But Jack Citrin, a veteran political science professor at UC Berkeley and partner on the poll, said a closer look at the poll results shows that Democrats need to keep affordability in mind. He pointed to the fact that 28 percent of respondents said they'd support new EV incentives only if gas prices aren't impacted and another 20 percent said they should be reserved for low-income buyers, reflecting the fact that cost of living was the top concern of voters polled. And 64 percent of respondents said gasoline prices are putting a significant, extreme or moderate burden on their household budgets. 'That reflects a concern with the cost of all of this,' Citrin said. 'Yes, we're for environmental protection. Yes, we're for all of this, just as long as it doesn't cost a lot.' The poll comes as state agencies released a joint report Tuesday with recommendations for countering Trump's assault, calling on lawmakers to bolster tax incentives, improve charging infrastructure and regulate facilities that attract polluting trucks, but offering few specific timelines or dollar figures. CARB Chair Liane Randolph framed the report — which Newsom asked for in his June order — as a first step in the state's defense against a hostile federal government. 'Clean air efforts are under siege, putting the health of every American at risk,' she said during a press briefing. 'California is continuing to fight back and will not give up on cleaner air and better public health.' Sperling called the report a surprisingly 'modest document,' and said it lacks the specificity he hoped to see.
