On July 31, the Unit 3 reactor at Plant Vogtle began commercial operation. The milestone is a significant one for the U.S. nuclear sector. It’s the first new reactor to come online in the U.S. since 2016. The Unit 4 reactor is expected to come online later this year or early next year.

The addition of the Vogtle reactors to the American nuclear fleet is a welcome boost to a sector that’s desperate for traction. But the news from Vogtle is also bittersweet. Construction was expected to take four or five years. Instead, it took 11 years. The two units were supposed to cost $14 billion. Instead, they cost about $35 billion.

The completion of the reactors at Vogtle is among dozens of examples that nuclear energy is gaining steam both here in the U.S. and around the world. While it’s good to celebrate these wins, we need to take a sober look at nuclear energy and the challenges that lie ahead. I’ll focus on the three biggest ones: capital, fuel, and regulation.

Before going further, let me be clear: I am adamantly pro-nuclear and have been for more than a dozen years. My view is simple: If you are anti-carbon dioxide and anti-nuclear, you are pro-blackout. I am anti-blackout. I’m particularly anti-blackout since Winter Storm Uri left our home in Austin without power for two days in 2021. But it’s not enough to proclaim support for nuclear. We have to be clear-eyed about the many obstacles facing the sector.