logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2022
12m 47s

Can Nuclear Power Save A Struggling Coal...

NPR
About this episode
A struggling Wyoming coal town may soon go nuclear with help from an unlikely partner, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates. NPR Correspondent Kirk Siegler takes us to Kemmerer, Wyo., where Gates' power company, supported by public funds, plans to open a new type of nuclear energy plant in hopes of replacing a closing coal plant. The model facility would create jobs and provide the flexible baseline energy needed to back up solar, wind and other renewables. But is it a good fit for rural Kemmerer?

To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Today
Sibling order may affect sexuality and identity
Today, guest host Selena Simmons-Duffin is exploring a detail very personal to her: How the number of older brothers a person has can influence their sexuality.Scientific research on sexuality has a dark history, with long-lasting harmful effects on queer communities. Much of the ... Show More
12m 24s
Yesterday
What crocodile bones teach us about dinosaurs
Paleontologists have often determined how old a dinosaur was by counting the growth rings in its bones. Just like with trees, it was thought that each ring corresponded to a single year of age. But researchers who studied crocodiles at an outdoor recreation center near Cape Town ... Show More
11m 21s
Mar 6
Teen sleep is getting wrecked by more than just phones
Teens aren’t getting enough sleep! And a two-decade study suggests it’s getting worse. Scientists found that the number of high schoolers getting insufficient sleep — less than seven hours a night — has increased from 69% to 77%. The throughline? There wasn’t one. Teens had bad s ... Show More
8m 17s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2022
Can a country live on renewable energy alone?
The International Energy Agency says that the world is in the middle of the first global energy crisis. The price of natural gas has increased almost five-fold since the summer of 2020, and the main cause is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has cut supplies of gas to European ... Show More
24m 23s
Jun 2021
Do we need more nuclear power to help deal with climate change?
In November 2021, Britain will host the next UN Climate Change Conference, otherwise known as COP 26. Some 200 countries will come together to try to speed up attempts to make the world carbon neutral by the middle of the century. But many countries are already struggling to ramp ... Show More
23m 50s
Oct 2021
How green is nuclear energy?
Is nuclear energy ‘sustainable’ and deserving of tax breaks? It’s a question dividing member states of the European Union which is considering what role nuclear should play in efforts to wean the continent off fossil fuels. Germany announced it would phase out its existing nuclea ... Show More
49m 2s
Apr 2023
Is Geothermal Power The Key To Stabilizing The Grid?
<p>Alternative sources of power are moving into the spotlight.</p><p>As the share of dispatchable power in our electricity system declines, with coal-fired plants giving way to variable wind and solar, maintaining reliable supplies to keep the lights on becomes more complex. Inve ... Show More
58m 45s
Jan 2020
Germany’s Energy Transition
Germany has long been considered a leader in renewable energy – a model even for others to follow with its subsidies for wind and solar. Householders were encouraged to put solar panels on their rooves as early as two decades ago. But its so-called “Energiewende” or “energy trans ... Show More
26m 28s
Feb 2023
Do we have enough energy as we transition to renewables?
Australia's energy market in a state-of-flux in the move towards renewables - will we have electricity? 
25 m
Dec 2020
Should We Go Nuclear?
When it comes to nuclear energy, many people have strong opinions. Some say that if you're not on board with nuclear energy, then you aren't serious about addressing the climate crisis. Nuclear, after all, produces a lot of electricity and doesn't emit greenhouse gases while maki ... Show More
46m 42s