Oil, Wind, and Now Nuclear? Oklahoma Debates Its Energy Future

Oklahoma has always had a complicated relationship with energy. We were built on oil and gas, and to this day, our roads, schools, and even our rainy-day fund rely on it.

Then we built wind turbines all across western Oklahoma. Love them or hate them, the Sooner State is among the top producers of wind power, and not just on our own grid.

But now the state is starting to whisper about the next big thing: nuclear power.

The Last Time Oklahoma Tried Nuclear

If that sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve been down this road before. As the 70s flowed into the 1980s, Oklahoma utilities looked hard at nuclear energy. They had a plan and permits to start building a plant near Inola, but between the public protests and a price tag the Oklahoma Corporation Commission decided Oklahomans wouldn't pay (a super-rare "No" from OCC), the whole idea fizzled out.

Oklahomans decided they were more comfortable drilling holes in the ground than splitting atoms.

Fast forward forty-something years, and here we are again. Only this time, the conversation sounds a little different.

Natural gas is still king, but prices are quite unpredictable. Wind is abundant, but not always reliable. Coal and coke use are slowly fading, so nuclear power is suddenly back on the table.

Why Nuclear Is Back on the Table

It makes sense on paper. Nuclear energy is reliable and clean. For a state that prides itself on being an energy leader, some say the idea of adding nuclear to the mix feels less like a leap and more like a logical next step.

It's not without a catch, and it's all the same stuff that came up 40 years ago... The cost and controversy.

Building a nuclear plant is not like putting up a wind farm. We’re talking billions of dollars, years of construction, endless safety regulations, and the not-so-small question of what to do with the waste once the fuel runs out. Add in Oklahoma’s history of cutting corners on infrastructure, and it’s fair to wonder if this state is really equipped to manage something as delicate and long-term as nuclear power.

All the same, Arkansas and Texas have had big success with nuclear... and if they can pull it off, surely we can manage it, right?

The Same Old Concerns: Cost and Safety

Then there’s the public perception. Oklahomans love a good oil boom, but nuclear ambitions hit differently because of the chance of accidents.

Maybe nuclear power in Oklahoma is finally an idea whose time has come. Or maybe it’s just another round of big talk that fades once the sticker shock sets in. Either way, the conversation says a lot about where we are as a state: caught between the comfort of oil, the gamble of wind, and the nuclear option waiting just over the horizon.