Texas Bets $2 Billion On Nuclear Revolution: Will Your Tax Dollars Power The Future?

Texas is going all-in on nuclear power, and they’re putting taxpayer money where their mouth is. House Bill 14 proposes a whopping $2 billion nuclear program funded by—you guessed it—regular Texans. Because apparently, oil and gas weren’t enough for the Lone Star State’s energy portfolio. Now they want reactors too.

The bill would create a fancy new Texas Advanced Nuclear Deployment Office, complete with a coordinator to help cut through red tape. Developers could get up to 60% of their costs covered through taxpayer-backed loans. That’s right—billions for the nuclear industry while public schools struggle. Typical Texas priorities.

Governor Abbott proudly declared in February that Texas would lead America’s “nuclear renaissance.” Renaissance? More like a corporate handout disguised as innovation. Representative Cody Harris authored the bill, claiming nuclear power is essential for Texas’ energy future. These initiatives align with Governor Abbott’s 2023 report recommending the creation of a Texas Advanced Nuclear Authority to streamline deployment. Meanwhile, the climate crisis intensifies and renewable solutions get second-tier treatment. Following Colorado’s recent move to classify nuclear as clean energy, Texas seems eager to rebrand this controversial power source.

Texas leaders call it a renaissance, but it’s just another energy sector handout while real climate solutions wait.

Four reactor developers—Aalo Atomics, Kairos Power, Natura Resources, and Terrestrial Energy—have already been invited to build at Texas A&M’s RELLIS campus. Natura Resources plans two 100 MW molten salt reactors, while Last Energy wants to place 30 microreactors in northwestern Texas. They’re rushing to build before anyone asks too many questions about waste disposal or safety.

The state claims this nuclear push addresses growing electricity demand from data centers, AI, and the oil-rich Permian Basin. Ironic that fossil fuel extraction needs more power. The incentive fund mirrors previous support for natural gas facilities—another giveaway to industry titans.

Grants of up to $200 million await “eligible” projects. Who decides what’s eligible? The same folks who’ve been in bed with energy companies for decades.

Texas is even suing the federal government over nuclear regulatory barriers. Because who needs thorough safety reviews when there’s money to be made? The state wants to be a “nuclear hub,” but taxpayers will foot the bill if anything goes wrong. Currently, nuclear power accounts for nearly 10% of Texas’s electricity generation from two existing dual-reactor plants.