Atomic Insights

Atomic energy technology, politics, and perceptions from a nuclear energy insider who served as a US nuclear submarine engineer officer

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Atomic Show #265 – Atomic Optimism. Under-appreciated opportunities in sight.

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On Sunday, Feb 17, I realized that I was feeling extraordinarily good about the future of atomic energy, the future of clean energy production, and the future prosperity of the world that my grandchildren are going to inhabit.

I immediately composed and sent an invitation to some atomic colleagues to join me in a conversation. I picked the invitee list carefully, hoping to obtain useful responses to my explanation for the numerous bases on which my optimism relied.

Guests were forewarned about my bubbly mood and asked to bring their best arguments to temper my enthusiasm and perhaps talk me down from an artificially induced state of euphoria.

Of course, I couldn’t provide much prior notice, If I waited too long, the mood might dissipate or my bubble might be prematurely punctured by some kind of real life event.

Guests who were able to join in the conversation included:

Meredith Angwin, author of Campaigning for Clean Air, Voices for Vermont Yankee and an intriguing, forthcoming book on the state of the grid in restructured regulatory “markets.”

Steve Aplin, blogger at Canadian Energy Issues

Jessica Lovering, Director of Energy at the Breakthrough Institute, and an expert on historical cost trends in nuclear energy generation systems

Canon Bryan, the CFO of Terrestrial Energy and a financial specialist with deep experience in the uranium market

I think you will enjoy the conversation. Spoiler, none of the guests succeeded in significantly dampening my enthusiasm for the possibility that we are very near an important inflection point in human history.

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Atomic Show #264 – Building momentum in advanced nuclear energy

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It’s not glaringly obvious, but preparatory steps enabling a take off for advanced nuclear power systems are making measurable progress.

Enabling legislative acts have been passed by both the Senate and House and signed by the President, turning them into laws requiring actions.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is back to full strength and under a skilled, experienced chair.

Two of the Commissioners have both education and work experience as nuclear power engineers. A majority of the Commission has indicated that they have a better understanding of their legislated responsibility to take actions that provide “reasonable assurance of adequate protection.”

Nuclear energy has been garnering bipartisan support in Congress as one of the few topics that can attract support from a variety of often contentious groups and individuals.

People who care deeply about clean air and water like the fact that nuclear energy can run inside sealed buildings and produces no air or water pollution.

People who care about the future for all of the world’s children like developing a powerful technology that has three useful superfuels – uranium, thorium and plutonium. Taken together, those fuels provide an inexhaustible resource.

People who want the US to have “energy dominance” recognize that we will have more fuel to export if we consume less of it at home. Some even recognize that we can build powerful, friendly global relationships by engaging in cooperative efforts to empower the world with actinides.

There may even be some people in the traditional hydrocarbon supply economy who recognize that their skills, capital, and attention could be invested in an atomic future. They might realize they would have more long term success by building capability in atomic energy than expending their resources drilling ever deeper holes in ever more challenging locations with ever increasing opposition from people who have determined that the atmosphere doesn’t need an ever increasing quantity of hydrocarbon residues.

On Sunday, Jan 27, 2019, I gathered a group of people who are paying close attention to the incremental developments that are adding up to make it possible to deploy new and improved atomic energy systems.

The panel included:

Meredith Angwin – Author of Campaigning for Clean Air, Voices from Vermont Yankee, and an upcoming book titled Shorting the Grid.

Steve Aplin – blogger at Canadian Energy Issues

Dr. Ben Heard – founder and director at Bright New World

Jessica Lovering – Director of Energy at the Breakthrough Institute

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Atomic Show #263 – Musicians choosing to be atomic advocates

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Forgive me, dear readers and listeners. It has been more than two months since my last post and more than 11 months since my last Atomic Show podcast. It has been a refreshing pause in my atomic information sharing activities. I haven’t been completely separated from the fray. I’ve been keeping up with my reading […]

Atomic Show #262 – New thinking about nuclear energy

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It’s time – or way past time – to think and talk about nuclear energy in new ways, recognizing the importance of the topic for the future health and prosperity of humanity. This show includes 5 forward leaning thought leaders in atomic energy. All of them are optimistic about nuclear’s future, often driven by their […]

Atomic Show #260 – Pro-nuclear voices from COP23 in Bonn. Not a warm welcome

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This episode of the Atomic Show is a conversation among five clean energy advocates who attended the COP with the goal of sharing what they know about the ways that nuclear energy can help reduce global emissions while also providing a growing amount of reliable power. With more power, more people will have a pathway […]

Atomic Show #259 – David Schumacher The New Fire Movie

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David Schumacher is a filmmaker who was inspired to learn more about nuclear energy at a Wired-sponsored event in 2011. That event took place soon after the Fukushima event captured widespread media attention. During the Wired gathering, he heard Bill Gates talk about his investments in TerraPower and his excitement in being involved in the […]

Atomic Show #258 – Energy and the Modern State With Professor George Gonzales

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Dr. George Gonzales is an energy-focused political scientist and professor at the University of Miami. He has written a number of books about the relationships between energy, the environment, international relations, and political decision making. His upcoming work is titled Energy and the Modern State; it is scheduled to be published in 2018. On this […]

Atomic Show #257 – Rich Powell, Managing Director Policy and Strategy ClearPath Foundation

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ClearPath Foundation has established a new niche; it is an unabashedly conservative organization that believes that clean energy is an important issue. It is taking aggressive action to seize the initiative. It asserts that the definition of “clean” energy should not be left in the hands of people who do not like material prosperity and […]

Atomic Show #256 – Tom Turner Talks About David Brower

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David Brower had a profound influence on the Environmental Movement and its gradual transition from groups of outdoors enthusiasts and conservationists who focused on protecting public lands and establishing national parks to a powerful political movement with major influences on a variety of important industrial, economic and international policy arenas. The Movement has had a […]

Atomic Show # 255 – Powerful fuels can enable human freedom and prosperity

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Some people who are not well versed in human history believe that fossil fuels are inherently evil, costly and harmful to human health. They ignore the side of the accounting ledger that documents the incredibly beneficial effects concentrated fuels have provided to overall human freedom, happiness, self actualization and reduction of dependence on nature. Those […]

Atomic Show #254 – Don’t let a crisis go to waste

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Rachel Pritzker and Ben Heard, two skilled communicators that have recognized the immense gift to humanity represented by the tightly packed power inside uranium and thorium nuclei, joined me in a terrific discussion about effectively communicating the awesome story of nuclear energy. It should be apparent by now that the US nuclear industry is facing […]