logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2023
54m 29s

The Renaissance of Nuclear Power

Wood Mackenzie
About this episode
What’s led the world to restart the stalled atomic engine?2022 was a year of important milestones for nuclear power. The most significant piece of climate legislation in US history – the IRA – included tax incentives and investment for the nuclear industry. A $15 per megawatt-hour tax credit for production to keep existing plants competitive, as well as $700 ... Show More
Up next
Jul 20
Is fusion power here at last? The imagined energy of the future is becoming very real right now
The old joke about nuclear fusion power is that commercial deployment is 30 years in the future: it always has been and it always will be. It may be time to retire that joke. Private fusion companies have now raised billions in capital, and pilot plants are moving from slide deck ... Show More
1h 4m
Jul 14
Can the LA Olympics in 2028 be a catalyst for clean energy? How the games could remake transport, power and clean air in the car capital of America
Los Angeles will host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, an event that poses formidable logistical challenges. To put it in terms that will be familiar to many Americans, it is the equivalent of seven Super Bowls happening every day, in one of the world’s biggest urban econom ... Show More
47m 1s
Jul 7
Why is it so hard to build big energy projects? The barriers that obstruct new infrastructure development, and how to get past them
Whoever you ask, you are likely find broad agreement that the world needs more energy infrastructure. Whether you are worried about ensuring secure supplies, powering new data centres, or cutting greenhouse gas emissions, the answer is most often going to be investing in new asse ... Show More
1h 6m
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2024
A Nuclear Comeback: Are New Reactors the Answer?
<p>Nuclear energy accounts for 20% of the electricity in the United States, but remarkably, 2023 marked the commissioning of the U.S.'s first new nuclear reactor in over three decades. The past few years have been a story of changing public opinion, but equally, innovative startu ... Show More
47m 51s
May 2025
Nuclear power’s global revival
Dozens of new nuclear power projects are planned across the world, amid efforts to reduce the use of fossil fuels. But why build more reactors when renewable sources of generating electricity, like wind and solar might be cheaper?We explore why countries are turning - or returnin ... Show More
17m 28s
Jan 2024
Is this nuclear power’s moment?
<p>The nuclear power industry is receiving a lot of attention recently thanks in part to new technological advancements. That’s excited venture capital groups and private investors, such as Bill Gates and OpenAI’s Sam Altman. But the industry is also known for its boom-and-bust c ... Show More
16m 20s
Jul 2024
A Radical Reboot of Nuclear Energy
<p>Nuclear power, once the great hope for a clean way to meet the world’s energy needs, fell out of favor decades ago.</p><p>Brad Plumer, who covers technology and policy efforts to address global warming for The New York Times, explains how one company with a radical idea is now ... Show More
25m 24s
Aug 2024
Why America is banking on new-wave nuclear reactor tech
The Biden administration, Congress and U.S. companies are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into small nuclear reactors in the hope of reenergizing America’s nuclear fleet. But so far, not a single small nuclear reactor plant is operational in the country. Today, POLITICO E ... Show More
20m 47s
May 2025
A nuclear future for Africa?
Nuclear power is back in favour, as more countries across the world consider ways to cut carbon emissions to combat climate change. Countries like China and Japan are planning to build more reactors, but should nations in Africa invest in renewable sources of generating electrici ... Show More
17m 29s