Is the Public Scared of Nuclear Energy — Or Just Misinformed?

As discussions about bringing nuclear energy back to Indiana’s grid ramp up, the Indiana Forum, the City of La Porte, and industry and state leaders are trying to find out. Cities and towns across the state are weighing whether diversifying energy production is both the question and the solution.

The City of La Porte, in partnership with the Indiana Forum, hosted the Nuclear Energy and Digital Infrastructure Summit on September 15 at the city’s civic auditorium. La Porte Mayor Tom Dermody opened the event with remarks that set the tone for the day: advocacy, education, and a commitment to dispelling misinformation about nuclear energy and the future of energy production.

Bert Cook, executive director of the La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership, said education is critical to the conversation.

“These conversations are occurring across the state of Indiana, and we’re incredibly appreciative to be able to host it here in La Porte,” Cook said.

Cook said that with energy production being a major topic statewide, counties can start having real conversations about what comes next. He said Tuesday’s event was meant to bring community members, regional leaders, and state officials together to begin discussing what energy will look like — not just for La Porte County, but for Indiana as a whole.

La Porte has seen a wave of new economic development in recent months, but for those projects to move forward, the energy grid must be able to support them. The city recently hosted Microsoft as the company leads one of the largest data center projects in the state, an investment officials hope will bring economic promise while reversing negative public sentiment through transparency.

State Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources Suzanne Jaworowski is working alongside community organizers, city planners, and industry leaders to build public support for nuclear energy and digital infrastructure. Under her direction, the Office of Energy Development is helping the state address what she called one of the most important challenges facing Indiana and the country: meeting growing energy demand.

Jaworowski gave context on Indiana’s shifting energy landscape, noting that electricity costs have risen significantly since 2007. She outlined changes in the state’s generation profile — coal use has declined and natural gas plays a limited role — and pointed to nuclear energy and digital infrastructure as paths toward a more reliable future.

Indiana expects annual growth of 1.5% to 3.5% in energy consumption. As taxpayers ask who will shoulder the cost of that growth, Jaworowski said partnering with data centers to help fund generation and transmission upgrades could help ease the financial burden on residents.

Shane Lies, executive vice president of nuclear operations at AEP, gave a detailed presentation on the technology behind nuclear energy and how the industry has evolved. Lies fielded questions from skeptics in the audience, backing his answers with research and data. He said the benefits of a more nuclear-aware and nuclear-dependent state outweigh the drawbacks.

Indiana is working to build more nuclear-aware communities across the state and has recommitted to that effort. State officials are calling on municipalities to start the conversation locally, aiming to keep nuclear energy viewed as a path toward a brighter energy future — from the state level down to individual residents. Indiana is currently evaluating eight sites, all former coal and fossil fuel plants, for potential conversion into nuclear energy facilities.

Summit attendees raised concerns about water usage, economic impact, effects on the tax base, and job availability. Speakers and industry experts came prepared with statistics, educational materials, and action plans to make the case for La Porte County as a potential nuclear energy site.

La Porte County residents are encouraged to stay informed as more details, educational opportunities, and chances for public input become available in the coming months.

“Our community is in the midst of one of the most significant economic development projects in its history — and I’d say the most important project in the history of La Porte,” Dermody said, referring to Microsoft’s investment in a new data center campus. “It’s an exciting, historic opportunity for Laporte, for northern Indiana, and for the residents who live and work here. But with an opportunity of this scale comes responsibility: How do we make sure the economic opportunities created by these advancements in technology are matched by improvements to the infrastructure and energy systems needed to support them? This conversation is much bigger than data centers. Our electricity needs as a country have changed dramatically.”

Dermody said he expects to partner with the Education and Outreach division of the Indiana Office of Energy Development, which is working to build nuclear awareness campaigns in cities and towns willing to participate. The goal is to ensure community members are genuinely supportive of these decisions rather than feeling forced to comply.

“A community cannot recruit a major employer if it cannot provide the power that employer needs,” Dermody said. “A state cannot attract new investment if its grid cannot reliably serve that investment, and our digital economy cannot continue to expand without the energy infrastructure to support it.”

Dermody said the push for nuclear energy and digital infrastructure is about more than powering data centers — it’s about powering the economy, keeping local businesses competitive, and ensuring communities have reliable electricity. He added that the effort is also about making sure Indiana and the United States remain leaders in technology and innovation.

“We must consider all options when it comes to reliable power generation,” Dermody said. “That’s why we need policymakers, utilities, businesses, and communities coming to the table to find a solution together.”

Tuesday’s summit aimed to educate community leaders on how to inform residents as nuclear energy discussions continue statewide. Organizers said much of the public resistance to nuclear energy stems from a lack of information about the process and how waste is handled. Speakers noted a common point of confusion: Nuclear power plants cannot produce nuclear weapons from the waste they generate, though public sentiment often conflates the two.

On the question of waste storage and environmental impact, speakers said there’s little cause for concern — all of the nuclear waste produced worldwide to date could reportedly fit inside a building the size of a large retail store.

Heather Ennis of the Indiana Forum, along with state representatives and keynote speakers, encouraged any town, municipality, or city interested in nuclear energy or digital infrastructure to start the conversation now, as global sentiment continues shifting away from fossil fuels and toward nuclear power.

Community leaders at the summit expressed interest in the economic promise of diversified energy sources, including job creation, increased tax revenue, and expanded employment opportunities. Organizers said the perceived benefits of nuclear energy are increasingly outweighing its perceived drawbacks in the eyes of the public.

Dermody said he does not want La Porte to be caught off guard as these conversations unfold across the state, with much at stake in whether Indiana embraces nuclear energy or risks falling behind economically.

More public forums and events on nuclear energy and digital infrastructure are expected in and around the State and County in the coming months. 

For more information on La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership, see their website: laportepartnership.com.