Essay Submission from Saahir Patel

An important contribution of the Midwest to the United States’ role on the global stage is its commitment to nuclear energy, which is critical to solving the world’s energy crisis. Illinois leads America’s transition to cleaner energy sources. Historically, Illinois has always been a leader in nuclear technology. The first nuclear chain reaction occurred in Chicago during the Manhattan Project, and since then Illinois has been at the forefront. Over half of the state’s energy is generated in nuclear power plants, which have proven to be extremely reliant and sustainable. Given the recent development of AI technologies, power consumption will grow exponentially. This is an issue that the United States needs to address, and the key to solving this issue is nuclear power, an industry that the Midwest leads.

Historically Illinois has always been a pioneer in nuclear technology, starting with Chicago Pile-1, the first nuclear reactor in history. Much of the early research into the potential of the power of the atom was done in Chicago and other sites in the Midwest. Despite its name, much of the Manhattan Project was stationed in Chicago at the University of Chicago, unceremoniously underneath the stands at Stagg Field. The research project was lead by a group of scientists which included figures like Enrico Fermi and Leo Szilard. In 1942, when the first nuclear chain reaction was successfully executed in Chicago Pile-1, Chicago and the greater Midwest emerged as the global leader in nuclear development. Three years later, the world saw the huge impact of the nuclear research with the deployment of the atomic bomb. The atomic bomb, and subsequent nuclear technology, couldn’t have existed without crucial research from the Midwest.

Illinois is remarkably committed to its energy development, as already more than half of the state’s power is supplied by nuclear sources, and this percentage will continue to rise. On February 18th of this year, Governor Pritzker issued Executive Order 2026-01, which set the goal of economy-wide 100% clean energy for the state of Illinois. Illinois already generates more nuclear energy than any other state, and this new order will only boost this position. Nuclear power is not only environmentally sustainable compared to most other sources of electricity, but is also reliable and affordable for Illinois residents. The state is already ranked #1 in generating capacity and net electricity from nuclear energy. The environmental safety and reliability of nuclear energy makes it apparent that it is an extremely powerful and intelligent investment for the future.

Another advantage of nuclear power over other sources of renewable energy is that it does not rely on weather conditions. Despite Illinois’s abundance of large open fields, which is a great foundation for both wind turbines and solar power, nuclear power plants remain the most consistent green energy source. One example of its utility and stability was during the 2014 sub-zero polar vortex, which caused major issues for other power sources such as the importation of fuel, icing of equipment, and other operational concerns. Another incident of a major energy shortage was more recently in 2022, when on Christmas Eve, 1.6 million people lost power to their homes. This was mainly due to gas and coal powered plants not being able to operate under severe wintry conditions. During that snow storm, nuclear power continued to operate and provide energy to Midwest citizens for the holidays. The only time that a nuclear power plant would need to shut down is during planned outages for refueling. In 2022, nuclear power plants were able to operate at full capacity 92% of the time, whereas gas powered sources rarely did so, often running at an average capacity of around 50%. Nuclear power repeatedly proves itself to be the most sustainable, consistent and reliable source of energy in the United states, and the Midwest is leading in that field.

Planning for the future, data centers and AI centers are growing ever reliant on large amounts of energy, and nuclear power is crucial to supplying this blooming industry. Between 2005 and 2017, prior to the rise of AI, the energy required to keep datacenters operational was relatively consistent, due to advancements in efficiency balancing out increasing processing power. However, development in AI greatly increased those power demands exceeding any improvements in efficiency. As of 2025, about 4.4% of energy generated in the United States already goes to data centers. Furthermore, according to a prediction made by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, by 2028 over half of electricity being routed to data centers will be used for AI. The world is being transformed by AI, and is on the verge of an energy crisis as a result. The world needs nuclear power, and in Illinois we are proving that we can make nuclear power work.