While wind and solar power have long been featured in discussions about renewable and green energy, nuclear energy is emerging as a front-runner to usher in a wave of more clean power in the United States. 

Nuclear energy is not traditionally viewed as a renewable energy source, and for years, it has been debated, even among environmentalists, whether the power could be considered “green.” While many environmentalists fault nuclear power for using water and creating environmental waste, others champion nuclear for being carbon-free.