In the last decade, nuclear energy has experienced a renaissance of interest across the globe. Even in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, numerous countries have reaffirmed their commitment to building nuclear reactors. Why? Why are countries willing to take on the risk of nuclear energy production, given the potential devastation that can result from nuclear catastrophes, the increased risk of nuclear weapons proliferation, and unresolved issues of radioactive waste disposal? What determines a country's nuclear energy policy, and more specifically, is climate change a major driver of the renaissance? This dissertation offers a multi-method approach to answering these questions, with particular emphasis on the relationship between nuclear energy and climate change. A look at the history of nuclear energy worldwide reveals a remarkable consistency of issues, actors and events that have shaped the nuclear debate. Concerns about energy security and the need to meet growing electricity demand have been enduring motivations since the 1950s – as have clandestine desires for acquiring nuclear weapons capabilities. Unique to the contemporary period are concerns about global warming. Yet despite the popular and widespread assertion that climate change is a driver of the renaissance, the search for evidence produces mixed results. Ultimately, this study uses quantitative statistical methods to determine the factors that influence nuclear energy policy. The results indicate that climate change mitigation is not a primary motivation for most countries to pursue nuclear energy, but mitigation may be a driver for those countries already in the advanced planning and construction phases of nuclear reactors since 2005. Other factors are important as well, including future energy needs, level of development, desalination, export development strategies, and whether or not the country has a strategic rival. Climate change is the global issue of our time. Yet in using nuclear energy to mitigate the potentially catastrophic effects of global warming in the years ahead, threats to international safety and security may increase in other ways. The stakes could hardly be higher, and whether the nuclear renaissance waxes or wanes in the future will have far reaching consequences for developed and developing countries alike.