In a move that reframes nuclear energy as infrastructure rather than legacy, the U.S. Department of Energy has committed $1.9 billion to help NextEra Energy resurrect Iowa's only nuclear power plant, with operations targeted for 2029. The decision reflects a broader philosophical shift in how the federal government understands the relationship between clean energy, grid reliability, and national resilience. Rather than allowing a dormant facility to fade into obsolescence, the government is choosing revival — betting that what was once set aside may yet be essential to what comes next.