The Future of Nuclear Energy is Now

About this episode

This episode features a discussion on the current and future role of nuclear energy in meeting energy demands with Brian Smith from Idaho National Laboratory.

In this episode of Plugged In, host Chuck Hanna welcomes Brian Smith, Director of Nuclear Reactor Development at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), for a wide-ranging conversation on the role of advanced nuclear in meeting growing energy demand. Drawing on Smith’s career across the U.S. Navy, Department of Energy and now INL, they explore why nuclear is both a current backbone of the U.S. grid and a critical solution for the future. They cover how small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors are expanding nuclear’s use cases, from grid-scale power to remote communities and data centers, along with INL’s role in de-risking, piloting and accelerating commercialization through partnerships with private industry. Smith also shares insights on grid resilience, cybersecurity, federal-industry collaboration and why “nuclear now” is an essential part of delivering reliable, low-carbon energy at scale. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in… Advanced nuclear technologies and their evolving role (03:13) Use cases for SMRs beyond the grid (04:33) How INL supports commercialization (06:24) How SMR use cases are shifting (09:28) Data centers, AI load growth, and the…

People in this episode

Host: Chuck Hanna

Guest: Brian Smith

Topics covered

• nuclear energy
• advanced nuclear technologies
• small modular reactors
• grid resilience
• energy demand
• commercialization

Keywords

• nuclear energy
• small modular reactors
• microreactors
• grid-scale power
• low-carbon energy
• energy security
• commercialization

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Idaho National Laboratory, U.S. Navy, Department of Energy