Chris Wright on nuclear power, Nov 6, 2020

Chris Wright on nuclear power, Nov 6, 2020

Yesterday, Chris Wright was confirmed as the next U.S. Secretary of Energy. After that important step in his energy career, it’s worth taking a few moments to learn what he thinks about nuclear power outside of any political context. In my experience, people like Wright form and hold opinions that do not shift much over…

Atomic Show #325 – Marco Visscher – The Power of Nuclear

Atomic Show #325 – Marco Visscher – The Power of Nuclear

After many years as an independent journalist with an antinuclear bent, Marco Visscher began questioning his long-held beliefs. He realized that the accepted alternatives to fossil fuel were not actually reducing fossil fuel use so much as they were limiting the rate at which it was increasing. He began acknowledging that nuclear energy was a…

Atomic Show #324 – Jay Hakes, Author of Presidents and the Planet

Atomic Show #324 – Jay Hakes, Author of Presidents and the Planet

Jay Hakes, an accomplished author and historian, visited the Atomic Show to talk about his recently published book, Presidents and the Planet: Climate Change Science and Politics from Eisenhower to Bush. Sometimes referred to as “the untold story of climate change,” Hake’s book is an enlightening jaunt through a history discovered during long days in…

Atomic Show #323 – Julie Kozeracki, Director of Strategy, DOE Loan Programs Office

Atomic Show #323 – Julie Kozeracki, Director of Strategy, DOE Loan Programs Office

Julie Kozeracki was the lead author for a U.S. Department of Energy strategy document titled Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Advanced Nuclear published in September 2024. The document was the result of a multi-agency, multi-lab effort to update a previously issued report. During our conversation, Kozeracki described how the report was informed by changes in the…

Atomic Show #322 – Westinghouse’s eVinci micro reactor

Atomic Show #322 – Westinghouse’s eVinci micro reactor

Westinghouse’s eVinci is a 15 MWth, 5 MWe micro reactor. Westinghouse often refers to it as a nuclear battery. Unlike conventional nuclear power plants, eVinci uses no water and doesn’t produce steam. The eVinci is not “just another way to boil water.” There are no pumps in the system that moves heat out of the…

Atomic Show #321 – Andrew Harmon, VP Natura Resources

Atomic Show #321 – Andrew Harmon, VP Natura Resources

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a construction permit on September 16, 2024 to Abilene Christian University (ACU) to build a molten salt research reactor. This marked the first university research reactor approval in 30 years. It is the first liquid fuel reactor ever approved for construction by the NRC and only the second advanced…

Atomic Show #320 – Magnus Mori, Urenco

Atomic Show #320 – Magnus Mori, Urenco

Urenco is one of the few companies in the world that enriches uranium. It’s one of an even smaller group of enrichers that aren’t owned by the Russian, Chinese or Iranian governments. It plays a key role in the western world’s nuclear fuel cycle. That role became even more important after February, 2022. With the…

The ADVANCE Act – Meaningful changes in U. S. nuclear regulatory framework

The ADVANCE Act – Meaningful changes in U. S. nuclear regulatory framework

NRC’s Newly Aligned Mission Will Accelerate Nuclear Energy Deployment With resounding bipartisan, bicameral support that also achieved enthusiastic support of the Executive Branch, the US has enacted a new law announcing its support of nuclear energy. It has the potential to make an even larger impact on global atomic energy use than the combination of…

Atomic Show #319 – Juliann Edwards, The Nuclear Company

Atomic Show #319 – Juliann Edwards, The Nuclear Company

The Nuclear Company exited a period of operating in “stealth mode” about a month ago. That exit was sufficiently well planned and executed that it is likely that Atomic Insights readers have already heard of the company. The Nuclear Company was incorporated a year ago. Its founding team has been working diligently to build the…

Atomic Show #318 – Brian Gitt, Business Development, Oklo

Atomic Show #318 – Brian Gitt, Business Development, Oklo

Brian Gitt, the Business Development lead at Oklo, visited the Atomic Show to describe his employer’s business model and current prospects. Oklo is an advanced fission and fuel recycling company with an expansive vision for becoming a competitive clean energy supplier. It plans to provide heat and/or electricity as a service from a fleet of…

Atomic Show #317 – Trey Lauderdale – Founder, Atomic Canyon

Atomic Show #317 – Trey Lauderdale – Founder, Atomic Canyon

Atomic Canyon is a six month old company that is developing AI tools to improve the efficiency of routine tasks associated with developing, licensing, building, owning and operating nuclear plants. Their first product, called Neutron, uses AI to modernize searching the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s 52 million page collection of publicly available documents that are currently…