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The Atomic Show #147 – Ignalina, South Korea, Puerto Rico and other nuclear topics

ByRod Adams

John Wheeler, the host of This Week in Nuclear and I got together for a chat about recent developments in nuclear energy. We also talked a bit about a very old, completely decommissioned reactor called BONUS on the west coast of Puerto Rico.

Topics discussed during our chat include the development of South Korea as a formidable competitor in the world power industry, the almost criminal decision to follow through on an old agreement to shut down the Ignalina nuclear plant in Lithuania, the use of a nuclear powered ship to provide clean water as part of its contribution to the Haiti earthquake relief effort, and some of the political maneuvering that is going on in relation to the President’s budget for fiscal year 2011.

In addition, we talked for a bit about the letter to Dr. John Holdren, the President’s Science Advisor. This letter, signed by a distinguished group of accomplished leaders, engineers and scientists describes the importance of nuclear energy as a tool for solving many of the world’s most pressing problems.

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Rod Adams
Rod Adams

Rod Adams is Managing Partner of Nucleation Capital, a venture fund that invests in advanced nuclear, which provides affordable access to this clean energy sector to pronuclear and impact investors. Rod, a former submarine Engineer Officer and founder of Adams Atomic Engines, Inc., which was one of the earliest advanced nuclear ventures, is an atomic energy expert with small nuclear plant operating and design experience. He has engaged in technical, strategic, political, historic and financial analysis of the nuclear industry, its technology, regulation, and policies for several decades through Atomic Insights, both as its primary blogger and as host of The Atomic Show Podcast. Please click here to subscribe to the Atomic Show RSS feed. To join Rod's pronuclear network and receive his occasional newsletter, click here.

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3 Comments

  1. No matter how many luminaries sign a letter, I’m afraid the unfortunate truth is that the American branch of the Nuclear Renaissance is going nowhere as long as this administration is in power. They will pay lip service all day long, but when it comes time for action they will find a thousand backdoor ways to kill it. If you want to see how that works just read Obama mentor Saul Alinsky’s “Rules for Radicals”.

  3. Rod, John, great show… Thanks.

    I find it interesting that you guys talk more and more about policies. Without good policies, we will get nowhere near where we need to be regarding the use of nuclear power. I saw from some comments on other blogs that Orszag and people like him, more interested in cutting into investments then supplying more clean energy to a demanding world is not helping the nuclear cause.

    From this show, I have made some interesting discoveries and blogged about it:

    http://simonfiliatrault.blogspot.com/2010/01/is-energy-supply-more-important-than.html

    Thanks to you both,

    Simon

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