It’s clear that Gov. Healey is committed to bringing nuclear power back to Massachusetts. But is she looking out for the interests of Massachusetts voters or simply responding to pressures and influences from the Trump administration while also kowtowing to Big-Tech special interests? The executive branch has succumbed to the influence of tech giants racing to force-feed the American public AI datacenters regardless of their well-known negative impacts on environmental integrity, water supplies, energy costs, and overall quality of life. The hastily planned deployment of nuclear reactors to provide energy for AI datacenters is an important key to Big Tech’s strategy.
Nuclear proponents are now using the “zero carbon” tagline to bamboozle the public into thinking that nuclear energy is now safe and “green”. With this clever inversion, they’re betting on large doses of cultural amnesia about disasters such as Fukushima (still ongoing), Chernobyl (still ongoing) and Three-Mile Island. They’re also conveniently sidestepping the fact that the nuclear waste problem persistently shows no easy resolution as the decommissioned Pilgrim plant here in Massachusetts reminds us.
The good news is that citizens are pushing back. These efforts include organizations such as The Commonwealth Coalition for Democracy and Safe Energy (CCDSE). CCDSE is a collaborative effort of more than 15 groups, including Mass. Power Forward, Sierra Club, Clamshell Alliance, Massachusetts Peace Action, Cape Downwinders, Save Our Bay Massachusetts, and Citizens Awareness Network.
– Tom Valovic
Valovic is the author of “Digital Mythologies,” essays exploring emerging social and cultural issues posed by technology adoption.