From quad to grid: Where thought leadership sparks civic dialogue
The role of state universities as trusted anchors for public engagement in an age of energy and environmental transition
Sukesh Aghara
In an era when affordable, clean energy is as much an economic imperative as it is an environmental one, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has an opportunity to lead not just through legislation but through partnership—between state leadership and its world-class universities.
Massachusetts has long led on decarbonization through electric vehicle adoption, rooftop solar, and offshore wind. We have reduced energy consumption through efficiency investments. From 2022 to 2024 alone, the state’s Mass Save programs facilitated energy savings equal to the annual usage of over 852,000 homes, avoided 684,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, and delivered $2.3 billion in customer incentives. But to meet growing demand and industrial needs, it’s time to invite universities to help craft a bolder vision—one that includes advanced nuclear technologies.
Gov. Maura Healey’s recent proposal to enhance energy affordability and independence reflects the state’s growing interest in diversifying its energy portfolio. We now have the opportunity for a broad view of energy diversification—one that includes advanced nuclear energy as a reliable, zero-emission backbone to a decarbonized grid.
Other states are already moving. In May, Virginia’s governor invested $1.2 million in university-centered nuclear innovation hubs. Texas committed $350 million to attract advanced nuclear firms and created a dedicated nuclear office to guide development. These efforts underscore a shared theme: public universities serving as anchors for research, testing, and talent. Even New York—the state that only six years ago prematurely shut down Indian Point—is working to add at least 1 GW of new nuclear through either large scale or a collection of small reactors.
Massachusetts has the infrastructure and history to do the same—and more.
Industrialized manufacturing in America began in New England, where water-powered textile mills transformed rivers into engines of growth. Lowell, Mass., planned in the 1820s to harness the power of the Merrimack River, became one of the largest milling complexes in the country. It pioneered centralized, mechanized production—replacing home-based artisans with specialized wage laborers, including integrating thousands of women into manufacturing jobs, expanding the workforce and meeting consumer needs.
The University of Massachusetts–Lowell Research Reactor building.
That same spirit of infrastructure-powered innovation lives on in the University of Massachusetts–Lowell Research Reactor (UMLRR), one of just 28 university reactors in the U.S. Built in the 1960s and relicensed through 2044, this 1-MW facility stands ready to help lead the next industrial transition: clean, modular, localized nuclear energy.
Small and advanced modular reactors are poised to do for 21st-century manufacturing what waterpower did for 19th-century textiles: provide reliable, site-ready energy to drive economic growth. These technologies are real, increasingly affordable, and aligned with federal policy through executive orders 14299 and 14301.
Massachusetts has the institutional capacity to lead. Alongside UMLRR, MIT’s top-ranked nuclear engineering program and Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s advanced engineering strengths form a triad of technical excellence. Historically, Massachusetts has attracted major nuclear firms like Stone & Webster, Westinghouse, GE, and CB&I, drawn by the region’s talent and innovation. Reinvesting in nuclear today could bring those companies—or their modern counterparts—back to the Bay State.
Upgrading UMLRR to support advanced modular reactor testing would transform it into a regional test bed for reactor components, fuels, and control systems—all urgently needed as the nation accelerates deployment of new reactors. But this opportunity is not just about infrastructure. It’s about people.
According to Deloitte, the U.S. nuclear workforce could grow from 100,000 to 375,000 by 2050. Yet much of today’s talent is nearing retirement. With coordination, universities in New England could become the national pipeline for nuclear-skilled engineers, policy experts, and safety professionals.
Public trust is another advantage. The American Nuclear Society finds university scientists to be among the most trusted sources of information on nuclear technology. Unlike corporate spokespeople, faculty and researchers are seen as independent, fact-driven, and credible—essential traits when navigating public dialogue on energy.
So, what should Massachusetts do?
First, establish a state nuclear task force, bringing together universities, utilities, and community leaders to shape a shared strategy.
Second, fund a state-backed initiative to transform UMLRR into a clean-energy accelerator and hub for advanced reactor testing, workforce development, and public engagement.
Third, repeal the outdated 1982 ballot initiative requirement for siting new nuclear plants—a relic rooted in fears of past reactor accidents that is not reflective of today’s safer technologies or public attitudes.
We must not let inertia or outdated policy sideline nuclear energy in the commonwealth. Our universities are ready. Our reactor is ready. And our citizens are ready to welcome the clean energy of the future. What’s needed now is political will—to align our educational strengths with our energy ambitions.
Let Massachusetts lead again—through science, not slogans; through partnerships, not partisanship.
Sukesh Aghara is a professor of nuclear engineering and the associate dean for research, Francis College of Engineering, at the University of Massachusetts–Lowell.
