EP 861 The U.S. Wants to Triple Nuclear Power by 2050: Is This a Good Idea?

 Nuclear power was once thought to provide unlimited energy at no cost.  Then the costs became apparent–building and maintaining costly facilities, environmental degradation, abundant use of water resources, storage of radioactive waste and overall security and safety.  After the Three Mile Island accident, it was thought that nuclear energy’s promise had come and gone.  But, once again, there is buzz about the promise of nuclear energy.  And that’s because the power generated is carbon free in the age of climate disruption. And we have growing needs for electricity, particularly due to the dramatic needs for it to power our EV’s and data centers for AI.  So, Microsoft and Google, among others, are looking for creative, and cost-effective ways, to get old nuclear power plants back online, convert coal plants to nuclear, build the smaller reactors and, if necessary, site new large plants. There is a buzz about nuclear and by listening to this podcast you will have a better sense of the promise, and the peril involved.  Our guest is Anna Erickson, Ph.D. She is a leader of Advanced Laboratory for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Safety and a Professor of Nuclear and Radiological Engineering at the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech.

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