The Experimental Breeder Reactor I (EBR-I) in Idaho, USA, generated the first electricity from nuclear energy on December 20, 1951. This event marked the beginning of nuclear power generation, which uses a nuclear reactor to heat water and produce steam to drive a turbine. Nuclear-powered steam turbines would become a major source of electricity in the second half of the 20th century, representing a new application of steam power.

The advent of nuclear power is a major theme in 20th-century poetry, often associated with both the promise of unlimited energy and the existential threat of atomic destruction. The use of steam in this context is a paradox, linking the ancient technology of steam with the most modern and terrifying power. Poets have grappled with the implications of nuclear energy, using steam as a metaphor for both creation and destruction.