I asked Copilot whether there is a renaissance of nuclear power. The answer:
In short: No, there is currently no global "renaissance" of nuclear power. The available data rather shows stagnation - with a slightly decreasing number of reactors, stable output and very limited new construction. The narrative of a global return to nuclear energy does not stand up to sober scrutiny.
🌍 Global situation of nuclear power
1. reactor stock shrinks slightly
- At the beginning of 2025, 404 reactors were in operation worldwide - five fewer than in the previous year.
Frankfurt ...
- Total output remains stable (369 GW), but only because existing reactors are delivering more power.
Frankfurt ...
2. new construction remains weak
- In 2025, only four new reactors will be connected to the grid worldwide (China, India, Russia).
Frankfurt ...
- At the same time, seven plants were decommissioned (Belgium, Russia, Taiwan).
Frankfurt ...
- In 2024, the net increase was only two reactors.
renewable ...
3. construction projects are concentrated almost exclusively in China
- 66 reactors are under construction worldwide, 36 of them in China alone.
Frankfurt ...
- Not a single commercial reactor is being built on the entire American continent.
Frankfurt ...
4 Europe: Dismantling instead of renaissance
- The number of EU reactors has fallen below 100 by 2025.
Sunny side
- Belgium is shutting down, Taiwan has completely withdrawn.
Frankfurt ...
💸 Why has the renaissance failed to materialize?
High costs & extreme construction times
- Example Flamanville 3 (France):- planned: €3.3 billion, 5 years
- Reality: € 23.7 billion, 17 years
renewable-...
Financial risks
- Private investors avoid nuclear power; almost only state actors are still building.
renewable-...
SMR (Small Modular Reactors) do not deliver
- The US flagship project was discontinued due to exploding costs.
renewable-...
Renewable energies overtake nuclear power by far
- China installed 277,000 MW of solar capacity in 2024 - 70 times the newly installed nuclear power capacity worldwide.
renewable-...
📌 Conclusion
There is no global renaissance, but:
- Stagnation of nuclear power,
- Declines in many industrialized countries,
- Concentration of new construction in a few countries (especially China),
- massive competition from faster and cheaper renewable energies.
If you like, I can also provide you with a regional analysis (Europe, Asia, USA) or an assessment of the future prospects of nuclear power.
In short: No, there is currently no global "renaissance" of nuclear power. The available data rather shows stagnation - with a slightly decreasing number of reactors, stable output and very limited new construction. The narrative of a global return to nuclear energy does not stand up to sober scrutiny.
🌍 Global situation of nuclear power
1. reactor stock shrinks slightly
- At the beginning of 2025, 404 reactors were in operation worldwide - five fewer than in the previous year.
Frankfurt ...
- Total output remains stable (369 GW), but only because existing reactors are delivering more power.
Frankfurt ...
2. new construction remains weak
- In 2025, only four new reactors will be connected to the grid worldwide (China, India, Russia).
Frankfurt ...
- At the same time, seven plants were decommissioned (Belgium, Russia, Taiwan).
Frankfurt ...
- In 2024, the net increase was only two reactors.
renewable ...
3. construction projects are concentrated almost exclusively in China
- 66 reactors are under construction worldwide, 36 of them in China alone.
Frankfurt ...
- Not a single commercial reactor is being built on the entire American continent.
Frankfurt ...
4 Europe: Dismantling instead of renaissance
- The number of EU reactors has fallen below 100 by 2025.
Sunny side
- Belgium is shutting down, Taiwan has completely withdrawn.
Frankfurt ...
💸 Why has the renaissance failed to materialize?
High costs & extreme construction times
- Example Flamanville 3 (France):- planned: €3.3 billion, 5 years
- Reality: € 23.7 billion, 17 years
renewable-...
Financial risks
- Private investors avoid nuclear power; almost only state actors are still building.
renewable-...
SMR (Small Modular Reactors) do not deliver
- The US flagship project was discontinued due to exploding costs.
renewable-...
Renewable energies overtake nuclear power by far
- China installed 277,000 MW of solar capacity in 2024 - 70 times the newly installed nuclear power capacity worldwide.
renewable-...
📌 Conclusion
There is no global renaissance, but:
- Stagnation of nuclear power,
- Declines in many industrialized countries,
- Concentration of new construction in a few countries (especially China),
- massive competition from faster and cheaper renewable energies.
If you like, I can also provide you with a regional analysis (Europe, Asia, USA) or an assessment of the future prospects of nuclear power.
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@randomdude Thank you for your input. Renewable energy may be cheaper, but I still see a big advantage of nuclear energy.
Big tech giants need an extremely high base load capability, as e.g. AI data centers (have to) run 24/7 under full load.
In my opinion, renewable energies are currently (still) very intermittent. Without massive (and currently still expensive long-term storage facilities), the constant load of AI clusters alone is very difficult to cover.
Nuclear power provides this constant energy without CO₂ emissions. This is why companies such as Amazon are buying entire data centers right next to nuclear power plants (e.g. the Talen Energy project in the USA).
We'll see how it looks in the future, but at the moment it doesn't work with pure renewable energy (would be desirable) ✌🏼
Big tech giants need an extremely high base load capability, as e.g. AI data centers (have to) run 24/7 under full load.
In my opinion, renewable energies are currently (still) very intermittent. Without massive (and currently still expensive long-term storage facilities), the constant load of AI clusters alone is very difficult to cover.
Nuclear power provides this constant energy without CO₂ emissions. This is why companies such as Amazon are buying entire data centers right next to nuclear power plants (e.g. the Talen Energy project in the USA).
We'll see how it looks in the future, but at the moment it doesn't work with pure renewable energy (would be desirable) ✌🏼
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