A Nuclear Comeback: Are New Reactors the Answer?

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 startups crafting groundbreaking reactor designs and an ambitious announcement by the U.S. government to triple nuclear power production by 2050. In this episode recorded at a16z’s American Dynamism Summit in Washington DC, a16z podcast host Steph Smith is joined by a16z General Partner David Ulevich, Doug Bernauer – CEO of microreactor company Radiant – and Dr. Kathryn Huff, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Nuclear Energy. From energizing the country's data centers to propelling the electric vehicles on our roads or powering the factories crafting tomorrow's innovations, they discuss why expanding our nuclear capacity is a national imperative. Stay tuned for more exclusive conversations from a16z's second annual American Dynamism Summit in Washington DC. Topics Covered: 00:00 - The Promise of Advanced Nuclear Reactors 03:43 - Nuclear Energy's Current Landscape 07:00 - Vulnerabilities in Fuel Delivery 10:30 - Nuclear Energy's Timeline 12:11 - Portable Microreactors and Mass Production 15:06 - Nuclear Energy's Role in America 21: 24 - Government's Role in Nuclear Energy 26:08 - Challenges of Portable Micro Reactors 30:03- The Evolution of Nuclear Reactors 32:11 - Nuclear’s Public Perception and Safety 39:21 - The Global Need for Nuclear Power Resources: Learn more about American Dynamism Summit 2024: www.a16z.com/adsummit Find Dr. Kathryn Huff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/katyhuff Find Doug Bernauer and Radiant on Twitter: https://twitter.com/radiantnuclear Find David Ulevitch on Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidu Stay Updated: Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithio Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.