Reexamining Nuclear Power in the Carolinas and Beyond (2026-2027)

Background

Nuclear power in the United States is experiencing renewed attention as policymakers and communities evaluate pathways for decarbonization, energy reliability and long-term climate goals. Public support for nuclear energy has risen sharply since 2020 across political lines, and nuclear reactors currently supply about 19 percent of U.S. electricity. At the same time, the sector faces major uncertainties, including high upfront costs, long construction timelines, safety considerations, regulatory complexity, waste management, fuel supply and competition from rapidly expanding renewable energy sources.

New technologies such as advanced reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs) could reshape the landscape, but timelines, regulatory hurdles and cost-reduction potential remain unclear. In North Carolina, Duke Energy’s pre-application for an SMR at Belews Creek raises state-specific questions about siting, grid integration, cost recovery, environmental impacts and stakeholder acceptance. Understanding nuclear power’s past in the region is essential for assessing whether and how nuclear might contribute to future energy strategies.

Project Description

This project expands the work of previous teams to build an open-access digital portal on the history of commercial nuclear energy in the southeastern United States. The portal integrates primary sources from Duke University, North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill and the Library of Congress to illuminate how nuclear policy, corporate strategy, regulation and public opinion have evolved across the region.

The project will unfold over four quarters:

From Classmates to Teammates
Team members will participate in a nuclear history and primary source “boot camp,” learning how to analyze archival materials using Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) principles — observation, contextualization and comparison.
From the Classroom to the Field and Back
Team members will conduct preliminary research across Duke, NC State and UNC–Chapel Hill special collections and participate in site visits to nuclear facilities and related locations. Fieldwork will be integrated with early archival tasks and document selection.
Guided and Unguided Archival Encounters
This peak research phase involves in-depth archival work: digitizing, cataloging, transcribing and marking up documents spanning government reports, corporate records, photographs, protest materials and media coverage. Team members will also synthesize findings and produce interpretive blog posts connecting historical materials to contemporary nuclear policy debates.
Writing Up and Reporting Out
The team will finalize datasets, analytical essays and documentation for the portal. They will also engage a pilot group of up to 25 participants — decision-makers, educators and library patrons — through surveys and event evaluations. A publication or publication series with the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability will synthesize conclusions about the past, present and possible futures of nuclear power in the Southeast.

By year’s end, the team will publicly launch and test the open-access portal, advancing archival scholarship and supporting research, education and policy dialogue.

Anticipated Outputs

Open-access portal hosting digitized primary sources on nuclear power in the southeastern U.S.
Searchable database integrating archival materials from Duke, NC State, UNC–Chapel Hill and the Library of Congress
Digitized and annotated collections, including corporate publications, government reports, photographs, protest materials and news coverage
Blog posts interpreting historical materials in light of current policy issues
Datasets, code and documentation for future research
Partnerships with Duke Libraries and public libraries across North Carolina
Foundation for future publications

Student Opportunities

Ideally, this project team will include approximately 8 graduate students and 8 undergraduates across history; public policy; business; mechanical, civil and environmental engineering; computer science; materials science; health sciences and related fields. Individuals with interest or experience in archival methods, digital scholarship and public history communication are especially encouraged to apply.

Team members will gain experience in:

Archival research and document digitization
Digital curation and database development
Primary source analysis using TPS methods
Historical research and public history communication
Nuclear policy analysis and science communication
Interdisciplinary collaboration with librarians, policy experts and community partners

Graduate students will mentor subgroups, help coordinate workflows and contribute to scholarship. All students will have the opportunity to travel within the southeastern U.S. for nuclear facility site visits.

In Fall 2026, this team will meet on Fridays from 11:45 a.m.-2:15 p.m.

Timing

Fall 2026 – Spring 2027

Fall 2026:

Nuclear history and archival methods training
Preliminary archival research at regional universities
Planning for site visits

Spring 2027:

Intensive archival research, digitization, transcription and analysis
Portal content development and blog post publication
Pilot outreach, survey evaluations and publication drafting

Crediting

Academic credit available for fall and spring semesters

See earlier related team, Reexamining Nuclear Power in the Carolinas and Beyond (2025-2026).