Katherine Sullivan

The Miss America competition in 2023 included a lot of what you'd expect from the pageant stage.

Sequins, smiles, stilettos.

And of course, coordinated dance moves.

But amongst all the fanfare, there was a hint about where our country's energy future is headed.

Miss Wisconsin had something to say about it.

I did not, first of all, think I was going to win Miss America.

Grace Vanderhy, a.k.a.

Miss Wisconsin, ran on a platform of expanding nuclear power and was crowned Miss America at a pivotal time for energy politics.

And I sort of got to be on the forefront of energy conversations and energy education for Americans.

Now, just a few years later, we're entering what the Trump administration is calling a nuclear renaissance.

Last year, venture capitalists announced 45 new nuclear energy deals totaling $5.25 billion, according to PitchBook.

That's over seven times as many deals as there were in 2018.

Proponents of nuclear tout it as the carbon-free solution to our energy future and the key to winning the AI race.

Companies like Google, Meta, and Microsoft are all investing in nuclear plants to satisfy their growing electricity needs.

But for decades, nuclear power was a no-go in the U.S.

Opinions have shifted dramatically.

The race to dominate a new energy-thirsty technology has tech leaders saying nuclear power is more necessary.

We're even restarting a reactor on the site of the country's worst nuclear accident.

How is this nuclear era going to be different?

Will the U.S.