About this episode

The episode discusses the evolving landscape of nuclear energy and regulation with experts Ashley Finan and Amy Roma.

For years, the energy transition was discussed as a shift that would happen in steady, predictable increments. But a massive surge in electricity demand in recent years—now colliding with a fracturing geopolitical landscape—has reshaped the global race for clean, reliable power. All this has pulled nuclear energy back to the center of the national conversation—with many policymakers from both sides of the aisle calling for a nuclear renaissance. But past multi-billion dollar cost overruns on traditional gigawatt-scale projects still hang over the sector, even as a novel pipeline of small modular reactors and other advanced nuclear technologies promise to reshape the grid. This has put renewed attention on whether the US regulatory system is ready for the scale and speed of what's needed. So what reforms are key to supporting the US nuclear energy sector? What needs to be done to ensure speed, safety, and predictability? And where do policymakers need to be careful to preserve the credibility, independence, and public trust that make nuclear regulation durable over the long term? Today on the show, Jason Bordoff speaks with Ashley Finan and Amy Roma about the growing nuclear…

People in this episode

Host: Jason Bordoff

Guests: Ashley Finan, Amy Roma

Topics covered

• nuclear energy
• energy transition
• regulatory reform
• small modular reactors
• geopolitical landscape

Keywords

• nuclear renaissance
• electricity demand
• cost overruns
• advanced nuclear technologies
• regulatory system

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Idaho National Laboratory, Center on Global Energy Policy

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