Mississippi lawmakers are pushing for the state to incentivize nuclear energy production, as increasing such production becomes a surprisingly bipartisan issue nationwide. 

Over the past fifteen years, Democratic and Republican presidents have pushed to increase the U.S.’s nuclear capacity by keeping existing plants operating and investing in new ones. 

Mississippi legislators have proposed two bills that would incentivize nuclear development and growth through the Mississippi Development Authority. 

Senate Bill 2185 authored by Sen. Joel Carter, a Republican from Gulfport, would provide up to $10 million to defray nuclear development costs in the coming fiscal year. House bill 697 by Rep. Jody Steverson, a Republican from Ripley, would create a special fund for nuclear site development grants.

“We need to provide multiple areas to increase the capacity of the grid,” said Carter.

There is a growing demand for power across Mississippi and the country. McKinsey and Company consulting firm expects U.S. power demand to grow up to 3.5% a year over the next 40 years. 

The need for power is especially pressing with multiple energy intensive artificial intelligence data centers coming on line soon in Mississippi and across the South, and potentially more coming. And nuclear plants generate massive amounts of power.

Carter’s bill is designed to further incentivize development of Entergy’s Grand Gulf Nuclear Station near Port Gibson. He said that Entergy had not requested the bill. The station, which began operation in 1980’s, is the only nuclear plant in the state and one of the most powerful in the world. 

While the Senate bill is a one-time appropriation, the House bill would create an ongoing fund for nuclear development. Grants could be given to nuclear power companies, and fund workforce development and site development. No dollar amount has been set yet, but the fund could receive money from public and private entities. 

Nuclear power requires massive investment and Carter said that further development in the state might require federal funding. Under President Donald Trump, the federal government has invested in numerous nuclear power projects, although none in Mississippi, with the goal of quadrupling U.S. capacity. 

State officials have said they are open to expanding nuclear power in Mississippi. Last year, Gov. Tate Reeves introduced a new initiative to increase the state’s energy capacity. 

While nuclear power is generally considered cleaner than natural gas, which is the state’s primary energy source, it is not without its challenges and critics.

In 2023, Southern Company, parent of Mississippi Power Co., opened the first of two new nuclear power plants that were seven years behind schedule and $17 billion over budget. 

Widely publicized nuclear plant meltdowns, such as Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and Fukushima, have raised concerns about the safety of plants. But proponents say reactors have become safer in recent years with fewer accidents reported. As energy demand surges, Three Mile Island may reopen within the next few years. 

Storage of radioactive waste from nuclear power production is another major concern, and something the U.S. hasn’t figured out yet. At Grand Gulf Station, spent fuel is stored on site and for years has been awaiting a federal government decision on a permanent disposal site. There have been concerns across the country about the long-term safety and stability of nuclear waste storage containers. In 2013, then-Gov. Phil Bryant said he was interested in reprocessing nuclear waste in Mississippi but backed away from the idea after sharp backlash from citizens and environmentalists. 

For many Mississippi and national leaders, increasing power generation is tied to economic development and considereds key to continued competitiveness. 

“We’ve got to win the energy war,” said Carter. 

Members of the state Public Service Commission, which regulates utility companies, have shown support for Mississippi expanding its investment in nuclear power, especially to meet the energy demand of new industries such as data centers.

“If the United States wants to remain economically competitive and nationally secure, we must be honest about what works, and accelerate investment in advanced nuclear energy,” Northern District Public Service Commissioner Chris Brown wrote in an op-ed earlier this month. 

Rep. Steverson said he could not discuss his legislation in time for this publication due to winter storm problems in his district.