Former Miss America says nuclear power is the way forward as popularity grows to 57% in three years with more people favoring the energy source

The reigning Miss America is preparing to pass on her crown, but not before using some of her glamor to give nuclear power a PR makeover.

Grace Stanke, 21, believes the US needs to increase its nuclear power capacity, and she’s not alone.

About 57 percent of Americans now favor more nuclear power plants, a big swing from just 43 percent in 2020. according to the Wall Street Journal.

Titans of industry including Elon Musk, Sam Altman and Oliver Stone have thrown their full support behind nuclear power.

Stanke has used her excellent public profile and social media skills to promote the clean energy possibilities of splitting atoms to produce electricity.

Grace Stanke, 21, believes the US should increase its nuclear power capacity, a view supported by industry titans including Elon Musk.

About 57 percent of Americans now favor more nuclear power plants, a big swing from just 43 percent in 2020

“Why isn’t this shouted from the rooftops?” nuclear engineering student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison told the Journal.

“It’s the industry that saved my dad twice from cancer,” Stanke said, referring to radiation and other treatments, and “it powers 20% of America.”

Stanke said she became interested in nuclear power in high school in Wausau, Wisconsin after her father told her there was no future in it.

“I got into it out of spite,” Stanke said.

“When you’re a 16-year-old girl and your dad tells you not to do something, you go and do it.”

Stanke has become such an ardent advocate for the industry, she even spent her 21st birthday traveling to and visiting the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia.

As part of a yearlong press tour for the industry, Stanke spoke at the World Nuclear Association symposium in London last month and aims to remain an industry voice even after crowning the next Miss America.

The former pageant queen has accepted a job at Constellation Energy when she finishes her degree next year.

The reigning Miss America is preparing to pass on her crown, but not before using some of her glamor to give the nuclear powerhouse a PR makeover.

Stanke said she became interested in nuclear power in high school in Wausau, Wisconsin after her father told her there was no future in it.

Stanke has become such an ardent advocate for the industry, she even spent her 21st birthday traveling to and visiting the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia.

The former pageant queen has accepted a job at Constellation Energy when she finishes her degree next year

The job, which will begin in 2024, will include a mix of technical work, as a nuclear fuel engineer, and public advocacy.

Kathleen Barrón, executive vice president and chief strategy officer at Constellation, said Stanke is “an unexpected harbinger” but that “that’s the beauty of him.”

One of Stanke’s main messages is the need to recruit younger workers.

The average age of a nuclear reactor operator is over 40, she said, explaining “that’s a big problem.”

Despite the shift in opinion toward nuclear power, Americans are still far more supportive of wind and solar power, according to the Pew Research Center.

The industry could be at a tipping point as it approaches the opportunity to receive billions of dollars in federal funding through the climate-focused Inflation Reduction Act, the 2021 infrastructure law and government-backed loans for new projects because of its ability to provide 24 -7 energy without the emission of greenhouse gases.