logo
episode-header-image
May 2025
32m 8s

When Nuclear Power Is Cheap—and Safe

Boston Consulting Group BCG
About this episode

We could be on the verge of a nuclear power renaissance. Climate change is one reason: nuclear power remains the largest source of carbon-free energy in the United States. Also, demand for electricity is surging. BCG’s Ben Vannier imagines a future where the promise of less expensive nuclear power has been realized. The key will be small modular reactors (SMRs) that are less complex and easier to build. Let’s not ignore the big question: safety. Nuclear power’s already safe, Ben says, and with SMRs, there's even less risk.

Learn More: 

Ben Vannier: https://on.bcg.com/4jKRQYV 

What’s Holding Back Nuclear in the West?: https://on.bcg.com/42Tg7Gt 

A Fusion Future Is No Longer Wishful Thinking: https://on.bcg.com/44xwWIi 

BCG’s Latest Thinking on Energy: https://on.bcg.com/44weiQR 



This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
Up next
Nov 12
The Future of Trade: How Will Multinational CEOs Succeed?
As regional trading blocs emerge, today’s multinational playbooks will become increasingly obsolete. Marc Gilbert, BCG’s Global Lead for its Center for Geopolitics, unpacks what every CEO needs to know to master the multi-polar world, from what winning looks like to navigating lo ... Show More
29m 19s
Oct 29
Force Multiplier or Co-Worker? Humans, AI, and the Future of Work
Many fear a future where huge swaths of the workforce are replaced by AI. But those concerns are based on a fundamental misunderstanding of how companies can best unlock AI's profit-boosting potential, says Julie Bedard, a Fellow at BCG Henderson Institute. Instead of replacing p ... Show More
34m 33s
Oct 15
Will You Buy a Car from a Chatbot?
Sponsored and boosted content is a reality of web searches these days, making it harder for consumers to find agnostic product recommendations. Consumers who want to cut to the chase will increasingly use LLMs. Chatbots can quickly comb the web to help consumers research products ... Show More
37m 21s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2022
It's Time to Expand Nuclear Power
The calls for nuclear are growing louder. The Biden administration recently announced that it was putting $6 billion toward saving distressed nuclear power plants from closure, considering them carbon-free alternative to fossil fuels. Elon Musk doubled down, not only calling for ... Show More
53m 15s
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
Sep 25
Everyone is talking (again!) about a coming revival in nuclear power. What needs to change to make it happen? | More from New York Climate Week
<p>At Climate Week NYC continues, the hottest topic is the question of how to meet growing demand for electricity while cutting emissions. In New York State, electricity use is expected to increase by 25% over the next 15 years. To meet that demand, the state plans to add tens of ... Show More
47m 50s
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
Aug 19
Simon Goes Nuclear with nuclear energy influencer Isabelle Boemeke
<p>“Nuclear” might make you wince—but the real problem isn’t the energy, it’s the branding. Safe, low-carbon, and scalable, nuclear could be a climate hero—if only we told the story right.</p><p>Isabelle Boemeke is on a mission to change how we think about nuclear energy. A Brazi ... Show More
1h 6m
May 2022
Who Killed Nuclear Energy?
Emmet Penney, creator of Nuclear Barbarians, Grid Brief, and the ex.haust podcast, walks us through the rise, fall and future prospects of nuclear power in the United States. Emmet dives deep on the historical, regulatory, political, and environmentalist forces behind nuclear ene ... Show More
1h 15m
Oct 20
The new nuclear renaissance - real or rhetoric? | Special pre-ADIPEC preview episode
<p>Nuclear power is back at the centre of the global energy conversation again. Is a real renaissance in the industry under way? Or are we just in another moment of excitement before familiar challenges emerge and the hype cycle turns down again?</p><p>In the second of three spec ... Show More
38m 7s
Sep 2024
Ep15: Inside Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant | BG2 w/ Bill Gurley & Brad Gerstner
<p>Open Source bi-weekly convo w/ Bill Gurley and Brad Gerstner on all things tech, markets, investing &amp; capitalism. This week they sit down with Maureen Zawalick (Vice President at Diablo Canyon Power Plant) to discuss the importance of nuclear power, the history and future ... Show More
1h 18m
Nov 2024
Episode 86
You may have heard that a "nuclear renaissance" is gathering pace, driven most recently by something called “small modular reactors” or SMRs. Apparently, SMRs are going to be ubiquitous everywhere and are going to play a key part in decarbonization. The Angry Clean Energy Guy on ... Show More
29 m
Nov 2024
AI Powers Three Mile Island’s Nuclear Plant Back to Life
Big tech companies are striking deals to bring more nuclear power online to meet the energy demands of AI while curbing surging carbon emissions tied to data centers. Now, one provider of nuclear power is looking to bring Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island plant back to life, after ... Show More
13 m