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Growing concern over climate change mitigation has heightened the search for low-carbon, affordable, and non-intermittent energy alternatives. In this perspective, hydropower, thermal, solar, photovoltaic, and nuclear energy sources fit all these qualities as they are well-known as cleaner and ecosystem-friendly energy sources. However, despite the attractiveness of the clean energy transition, the extant literature has less documentation on the pertinent role of nuclear energy in the "climate change mitigation (SDG-13)" agenda, hence making it difficult to predict nuclear energy-CO 2 emissions (CO 2 e) nexus. Hence, the present study, using IPAT and the "environmental Kuznets curve (EKC)" framework, explores the consequences of nuclear energy generation, population dynamics, and economic progress on CO 2 e in the "United States of America (USA)" by applying a "dynamic autoregressive distributed lag (DARDL)" model from 1973 to 2021. The study provides evidence the existence of the EKC phenomena, suggesting that economic expansion hurts the environment up to a specific threshold level of per capita income, which is identified as US$ 29,581.16. Further empirical findings also show the detrimental effect of population-induced-emission. Remarkably, a 1% rise in nuclear energy generation dwindles CO 2 e by around 0.819%. The outcomes of this research demonstrate that economic growth level, population, and CO 2 emission are entangled. However, there is a need for a collective role from both stakeholders and policymakers in achieving "SDG-13" as well as "clean and affordable energy (SDG-7)" with a paradigm shift of the USA energy portfolio away from fossil fuels to renewables. • The nexus between nuclear energy-population-CO 2 emissions is investigated for USA. • We applied dynamic ARDL simulations model. • Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis prevails in USA. • Nuclear energy generation dampens the effect of CO 2 emission. • The population induced-emission in both the short- and long-run is observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]