Public perceptions of nuclear energy have varied over the years. In the 1980s, the nation struggled to find solutions for nuclear waste. One early proposal was to place a temporary nuclear waste storage facility in Oak Ridge, while the search went on for a permanent geologic repository. Tennessee and its congressional delegation pushed back, resulting in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act Amendments of 1987. Later, the Clean Air Amendments of 1990 placed limits on emissions from coal fired power plants, and began measuring CO emissions, reshaping energy conversations. The late 1990s brought laws addressing nuclear workers’ health. This course will explore how these and other laws helped shape the “Nuclear Renaissance” of today, how perceptions of nuclear energy have changed, and the open questions that remain.