Atomic Insights

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

Politics of Nuclear Energy

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

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Eric, Kirsty and Iida provide copies of Energy for Humanity's recently released Climate Leadership Report on European emissions by country

Eric, Kirsty and Iida provide copies of Energy for Humanity’s recent report on European emissions

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 to prosperity.

Guests on the show include:
Kirsty Gogan, a co-founder and the current Executive Director of Energy for Humanity, an NGO based in London that is focused on abundant clean energy
Dr. Ben Heard, founder and Executive Director of Bright New World, an NGO based in Adelaide, South Australia. Bright New World is aiming for an improved world powered by energy that is plentiful, clean and affordable.
Eric Meyer, Founder and the Executive Director of Generation Atomic.
Wolfgang Denk, a campaigner for Energy for Humanity
Iida Ruishalme, author of the blog Thoughtscapism, who has recently become an increasingly active nuclear advocate based on her own personal journey through the available information. She is a member of the Ecomodernist Society of Finland.

Getting this geographically dispersed group together proved to be a bit of a challenge, but Ben was gracious enough to agree to participate even though we began recording at 1:30 am Adelaide time.

Kirsty kicks off the conversation with a summary of the official rejection of the World Nuclear Association’s offer to spend nearly $70,000 for a Gold Sponsorship of the Sustainable Innovation Forum (SiF) a business-focused event that occurs alongside the COP. Ben described the way that atomic advocates decided to respond to that decision and use it as a rallying point for increased dedication to effective communications.

Iida provides a moving description of how she and Eric Meyer openly infiltrated an antinuclear gathering. They received a rather harsh reception in response to their attempts to communicate. A more detailed version of the story is posted on Iida’s blog.

During the show, Eric provides us with an operatic highlight with the chorus of an original pronuclear song.

In contrast to the negative manner in which nuclear advocates were treated by officials and people who were part of organized efforts to silence nuclear information, each of show participants were able to share stories about positive encounters with more curious and open-minded attendees at the event.

The stories that the group share about their experiences deserve a close listen and probably some follow-up action.

Included among the actions will be an increasingly assertive effort by people that favor nuclear energy to make ourselves heard in peaceful and calm ways. It promotes our cause to be able to respond with grace and creative genius when others resort to pushing and shoving.

Near the end of the show, I issued a call to action for people to make financial contributions to the organizations represented on the call so that they can begin accumulating the resources required for an even larger effort to attend COP 24 in 2018.

Here are the donation links for each organization.
Energy for Humanity
Generation Atomic
Bright New World
Ecomodernist Society of Finland

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Self-Described Antinuclear, Pro-Renewable Former Vermont Legislator Claims “We were angels, doing God’s work.”

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Tony Klein, a former Vermont legislator who played an important role in Vermont energy law creation during the last decade, recently gave a fascinating talk at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Vermont. Fortunately for those of us with a deep interest in energy politics, the talk was competently recorded for posterity […]

Logical Basis For Sec. Rick Perry’s Resiliency Pricing Rule.

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The intense conversation Energy Secretary Rick Perry purposely initiated with his Sept. 29 letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission continues to occupy the attention of specialists. The direction was concise: implement pricing rules that protect electricity generators that meet certain requirements from being pushed into early retirement. The marching orders came with an aggressive but […]

U.S. DOE to Follow Industry Lead In Setting Priorities Under Trump

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R. Shane Johnson recently briefed representatives of the U.S. nuclear power industry about the the strategies and programs that the Department of Energy (DOE) is developing to implement the Trump Administration’s vision for nuclear energy. Johnson is the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy. He’s the senior career civil servant in […]

Pro nuclear movement can appear confused to left and right

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Last week Ketan Joshi (@KetanJO) published a piece titled Nuclear power’s tense contradiction. Ketan is a thoughtful science and technology writer who earned a science degree (neuroscience and psychology) from Sydney University and has worked in the renewable energy industry. He is also deeply interested in politics and identifies with the left. His article is […]

Moon Jae-in Making Friends By Promising To Buy More Gas

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During his successful campaign to become South Korea’s president, Moon Jae-in promised to dramatically increase South Korea’s natural gas consumption. Within weeks of taking office, he took several concrete steps towards fulfilling that promise. He announced the near-term closure of 10 coal plants, he allowed the operating license to expire as scheduled for South Korea’s […]

Nominations for NRC Commissioners

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Yesterday, the President announced his intent to fill two vacancies at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The White House press release names Annie Caputo, currently serving as senior policy advisor for Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to a seat with a term expiring June 30, 2021. As stated in […]

Nuclear Provisions of S. 512, Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (NEIMA)

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The Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (NEIMA), S. 512, is a draft bill reported out of the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee on March 22 that directs both the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and U.S. Department of Energy to make significant changes in the way they treat nuclear energy technology development. While it […]

Secretary of Energy Rick Perry visits Yucca Mountain and talks with Nevada Gov Brian Sandoval

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Yesterday, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry toured the Yucca Mountain site to get a first hand look at the current state of the facility. Following the site tour, Sec. Perry met with Gov. Brian Sandoval. Here is what the Department of Energy press release said about that conversation. “Governor Sandoval and I had a frank […]

Bipartisan pro-nuclear love fest at Senate EPW hearing

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Yesterday, on International Women’s Day, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) committee held a hearing that provided both visible and audible proof that times are changing in the political and public acceptance of nuclear energy. The committee organized the hearing in order to gather information and invited stakeholder feedback related to the recently reintroduced […]