Nuclear energy’s role in decarbonizing the economy

10/17/23 • 24 min

3 Listeners

Despite a long period of relative stagnation, nuclear power has remained the quiet backbone of the United States’ clean energy supply for decades. Now, the Joe Biden administration wants more from the sector as the country hustles to meet ambitious emissions goals.

Jigar Shah, the director of the Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office, said nuclear energy will only become more critical as demand for electricity surges over the next 20 years.

On the show today, Shah makes us smart about how much the country relies on nuclear energy. We’ll also discuss lessons learned from building the first nuclear reactor from scratch in decades, and how the industry plans to win over Americans who are concerned about safety and toxic waste.

Then, we’ll get into the high stakes of today’s vote for speaker of the House of Representatives. And Elon Musk’s satellite internet company Starlink is part of geopolitical conversation yet again, this time in Israel.

Later, we’ll hear from a teacher about the expectations that educators pay for classroom supplies themselves. And this week’s answer to the Make Me Smart question comes from Kai Bird, co-author of “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.”

Here’s everything we talked about today:

- “Nuclear power is having a resurgence” from Axios
- “Utilities Want to Convert Coal Plants to Nuclear; Skeptics Abound” from The Wall Street Journal
- “New Georgia reactor shows benefits and costs of nuclear power” from Marketplace
- “Study identifies reasons for soaring nuclear plant cost overruns in the U.S.” from MIT News
- “Advanced Nuclear – Pathways to Commercial Liftoff” from The Department of Energy
- “NRC Certifies First U.S. Small Modular Reactor Design” from The Department of Energy
- “Playbook: Jim Jordan’s day of reckoning” from Politico
- “Google, Amazon, Apple could see antitrust bills put on hold if Jim Jordan is House speaker” from CNBC
- “Israel Latest: Musk’s Starlink Approached as Biden Readies Trip” from Bloomberg

We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. You can reach us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Jigar Shah, the director of the Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office, said nuclear energy will only become more critical as demand for electricity surges over the next 20 years.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

- “Nuclear power is having a resurgence” from Axios
- “Utilities Want to Convert Coal Plants to Nuclear; Skeptics Abound” from The Wall Street Journal
- “New Georgia reactor shows benefits and costs of nuclear power” from Marketplace
- “Study identifies reasons for soaring nuclear plant cost overruns in the U.S.” from MIT News
- “Advanced Nuclear – Pathways to Commercial Liftoff” from The Department of Energy
- “NRC Certifies First U.S. Small Modular Reactor Design” from The Department of Energy
- “Playbook: Jim Jordan’s day of reckoning” from Politico
- “Google, Amazon, Apple could see antitrust bills put on hold if Jim Jordan is House speaker” from CNBC
- “Israel Latest: Musk’s Starlink Approached as Biden Readies Trip” from Bloomberg

We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. You can reach us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Previous Episode

Is a crackdown coming for Realtors?

A class-action lawsuit is looking to end questionable practices by the National Association of Realtors. While antitrust concerns have surrounded Realtors’ operations in the past, the association’s heavy lobbying may have prevented further investigation. We’ll talk about why this lawsuit might be different. Plus, we’ll do the numbers on the federal government’s ballooning interest bill. And, a lesson on laughter during trying times.

Here’s everything we talked about:

- “Realtors Face an Antitrust Reckoning” from The Wall Street Journal
- “Explain How REALTORS®, Local Broker Marketplaces Work” from the National Association of Realtors
- “National Association of Realtors” from the National Association of Realtors
- “National Assn of Realtors Profile: Summary” from OpenSecrets
- “What long-term bond yields mean for U.S. fiscal outlook” from Axios
- “Pete Davidson offered the right words about the Israel-Hamas war” from Poynter

Do you have a question that you want to ask us or a comment about something we talked about? Call us at 508-U-B-SMART or email [email protected].

Next Episode

The “for-profit” in our health care system is showing

COVID-19 drug Paxlovid will soon hit the commercial market, and it won’t be cheap. We’ll talk about what the change means for patients and the drug’s accessibility. Plus, drone drug delivery is coming to certain rural communities. Also, in one woman’s case, a new pet is just what the doctor ordered.

Here’s everything we talked about today: