Nuclear has a PR and economic problem. Blame business interests, the Simpsons, and Chernobyl for ruining the public image of nuclear. Economically a reactor takes years longer than a natural gas plant to start generating power. When it does work it will definitely outperform a natural gas plant, however by that point the natural gas plant will have already been generating a substantial amount of power to the region for years.
Renewables like solar and wind are the next best alternative. They have a much faster setup time, very little chance of environmental damage (worst case, a wind turbine kills some birds or falls), and doesn't require 24/7 staffing, monitoring, and security to operate. Nuclear is the utopia choice that requires forethought and planning that hasn't been made.
IMO: The government should create subsidies for people who install solar into their houses. Solar is usable on an individual scale, they use the otherwise wasted sunlight on roofs, and it lessens the overall demand on the power grid.