As New York says thanks for any drops of rain to alleviate our drought, one of the catastrophic effects of a changing climate, we are reminded yet again that nuclear energy is one of the very best ways to generate reliable and affordable electricity without pumping any damaging carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Yes, wind power is great, and so is solar, and both are growing rapidly (though, in the case of wind in New York, not rapidly enough). But they and other renewable sources can’t possibly feed our energy-hungry economy on their own. The sizable gap gets filled by burning oil or coal or, in the best-case scenario, natural gas, all of which make it harder to slow much less stop the indisputable rise in global temperatures. Policymakers in New York in particular have been late to get this essential memo. Instead, with one hand, they were busy passing some of the most aggressive greenhouse-gas reduction goals in the nation — while with the other, they were shutting down a nuclear power plant that produced plentiful energy for the nation’s most populous metropolitan area. Then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo cheered the closure of Indian Point, an idiotic decision that overnight wiped out 25% of the area’s electric supply and resulted in a dramatic increase in greenhouse gas emissions, as downstate New York’s electric grid shifted heavily toward fossil fuels.  To the credit of Gov. Hochul, the state is finally wising up. Last week, the state’s Energy Research and Development Authority put out a formal request for information “to gauge market interest in activities to develop advanced nuclear energy technologies in New York State.” That follows Hochul’s September speech at a summit on future energy in which she strongly signaled a move toward advanced nuclear technology (without uttering the word “nuclear,” as though it’s still a third rail). Indian Point was plenty efficient and plenty safe, but next-generation nuclear is much more efficient and much safer. That’s why small modular reactors are the smart-money energy generators of choice. Bill Gates and Amazon and the Biden administration and many many others understand that they’re a necessary piece of an all-of-the-above energy strategy in an age of climate change. Those who want to slam the brakes on nuclear power while wringing their hands about hurricanes and droughts and wildfires have no answers. Some of these same voices pretend we can solve the problem by moving away from Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, as well as from artificial intelligence, all of which consume lots of energy. Nonsense. Those sectors will play a pivotal role in powering New York’s and America’s economic future. Just like modern factories and modern conveniences and cars and trucks and airplanes, the internet demands significant power. A productive nation and state dedicated to creating new opportunities for its people must find cost-effective and environmentally sensitive ways to generate electricity, not put up barriers designed to slow growth and innovation. That’s the way of blackouts and malaise. So: Bring on the next-generation nuclear reactors. Attack climate change and generate gigawatts with one stone. Meet the future rather than shrinking from it. Get smart, and power up New York.