The rise of AI's power demand is driving the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to cautiously support nuclear power, after decades of resistance. The NRDC has supported an early step toward restarting a nuclear power plant in Iowa that Google is planning to use for one of its data centers in the region. This move is part of a larger shift among environmentalists to embrace nuclear power. Some high-profile environmentalists, including former Vice President Al Gore and John Kerry, have expressed their support for nuclear energy. The group's comments were made as part of an interim step toward a full restart of the Iowa plant, which could reopen as soon as 2029. They also raised concerns about the independence and functionality of the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission under President Trump.