Boris Johnson’s green plan puts advanced nuclear in top three
Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister, penned an oped in the Financial Times calling for a 12 billion-pount, 10-point plan to effect Britain’s green recovery. Johnson wants to create 250,000
DOE announces funding for three advanced reactor builds
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has selected two teams—one led by TerraPower in partnership with GE Hitachi, building a 345 MWe sodium fast reactor with a molten salt energy
Making Nuclear Energy Cool
Kärnfull Energi is a new, hip and very climate-focused Swedish utility that recently launched offering Swedes a 100% nuclear energy option. They are neither building nor generating new nuclear power,
Birth of a new discipline, needed to address climate change
Stanford University announced, in a webinar hosted on September 28th, 2020 their intent to form a new interdisciplinary academic area called Macro Energy Systems. The aim of Macro-Energy Systems is
California will phase out sales of gas-powered cars by 2035
Governor Gavin Newsom, issued an executive order to require all new cars sold to be zero-emission vehicles by 2035 and threw his support behind a ban on the controversial use
GE exits coal to focus on wind and nuclear
General Electic, opened the first AC coal-fired power plant in the United States in 1902 and spent the following century becoming a leader in manufacturing these plants both in the
Finance Experts Are Ringing the Alarm About Climate Change
Mindy Lubber, CEO and president of Ceres, perhaps the leading corporate sustainability non-profit focused on building business support for acting on climate, announced the issuance of a major report on
First Advanced Nuclear Design Approved by the NRC
NuScale Power achieved a major milestone with far-reaching implications, by being the first private company to receive approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for an advanced reactor design. As NuScale’s
Exxon Mobil booted off the Dow Jones Industrial Index
Exxon Mobil Corp., the most prominent U.S. fossil fuel company, and one widely reviled for four decades of stonewalling action on and deliberate, deceptive obfuscation about the risks of climate
Climate Action 100+ deploys asset managers of $40 trillion to pressure corporate action on climate
Climate Action 100+ (CA100+), the largest asset manager activist alliance, with more than 450 investor members which collectively manage $40 trillion in assets, has secured climate action commitments from 70%
Apocalypse Maybe: Thoughts from MIT’s Kerry Emanuel
National Academy of Sciences member Kerry Emanuel of MIT felt compelled to explain his views on climate change, risk assessments and the debates rekindled by climate deniers and nuclear deniers
US Senate passes Nuclear Energy Leadership Act but reconciliation remains
The Nuclear Energy Leadership Act (NELA, S.903) which had 22 bipartisan co-sponsors, was introduced as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA, S.4049) by
DNC draft climate platform includes nuclear power
A draft of the Democratic Party’s policy platform backs aggressive climate change proposals to reach net-zero emissions as quickly as possible using a technology-neutral approach that values “existing and advanced
US agency ends ban, will now finance advanced nuclear projects abroad
The US International Development Finance Corporation has ended a ban on financing nuclear power projects and “will prioritize the support of advanced nuclear technology in emerging and frontier markets,” the
Apple says its supply chains and products will be carbon neutral by 2030
Apple announced plans to make its entire business carbon neutral within the next 10 years. The roadmap to sustainability is part of the company’s annual Environmental Progress Report. Reducing every
Good Energy Collective seeks to rebuild nuclear’s climate credentials
A new non-profit, Good Energy Collective, has been founded to build the progressive case for nuclear energy as an essential part of the broader climate change agenda. The group, founded
Microsoft will be carbon negative by 2030
Microsoft has grabbed the corporate high ground with a commitment to be carbon negative by 2030. The senior executives have studied the issue and write: “If we don’t curb emissions
An Open Letter to Boris Johnson from Zion Lights: nuclear sits at the heart of a green recovery
Zion Lights, formerly with Extinction Rebellion, and dozens of others sent an open letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, business secretary Alok Sharma, and chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak
Nuclear power has a big role to play in the energy transition
Nuclear plants today provide 10% of the world’s electricity, all of it carbon-free – that’s almost twice the combined contribution of solar and wind. To meet the key energy goals
IAEA Head Tells Ministers Nuclear is ‘Contributing Massively’
By David Dalton Nuclear power is playing an important role in the world’s production of clean energy, “contributing massively” to avoiding greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in many countries and providing
Oil and gas investments reach their “sell by” date
Ray Rothrock, famed Venrock VC who has made multiple investments in advanced nuclear, together with Ellen Hughes-Cromwick and Farah Benahmed, discuss the critical role that professional venture capital (VC) has
NRC Approves New Approach to Streamline Advanced Reactor Licensing Process
The DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy posted an update regarding an NRC milestone. This is the approval of a new approach for the review and licensing of Advanced Reactor designs.
Lagarde puts fighting climate into agenda of European Central Bank’s bond program
Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, wants to use the €2.8tn asset purchase scheme in the fight against climate change. This marks the first time that the ECB
NEA issues call to action in report on nuclear cost reductions
A new report from the Paris-based OECD Nuclear Energy Agency declares that nuclear power is needed for countries to meet their Paris Agreement decarbonization and energy security policy goals, but
What if nuclear had taken off in the 1970s?
Part of the “What if?” series from the Economist exploring a wide array of alternative histories, this essay explores the question of how the world might look today if more
Nuclear ‘Power Balls’ May Make Meltdowns a Thing of the Past
Wired Magazine dives deep on TRISO pebble fuel, which consists of particles of an alien-looking fuel with built-in safety features that will safely power a new generation of high-temperature reactors.
Southern Company and TerraPower Prep for Testing on Molten Salt Reactor
Southern Company, a leading utility, is partnering with Bill Gate’s TerraPower to develop a molten chloride fast reactor (MCFR) that uses liquid salts as both a coolant and fuel. Working
Sustainable Nuclear Energy’s Future
In this Goldman Sachs podcast, Heath Terry dives into sustainable energy and argues that advanced atomic power will become the most important investment class over the next decade. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=sH0z1UBSt3M&app=desktop
Over 150 global corporations urge world leaders for net-zero recovery from COVID-19
In largest ever UN-backed CEO-led climate advocacy effort, major multinationals reaffirm their own science-based commitments to achieving zero carbon economy and call on governments to match their ambition and by
AOC “leaves the door open” to nuclear
During the 2020 primary debate for New York’s 14th district, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reiterated her position from the previous May, that the Green New Deal leaves the door open to nuclear.
Cory Booker’s Full Throated support for Nuclear
Cory Booker has voted to support nuclear research and innovation and has argued that the country will need nuclear energy to stem carbon emissions. “For me this is not a
Christine King named Director of Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear
Christine King, a member of the Nucleation Capital team, was selected to serve as the director of the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative, effective Feb. 17. As
BlackRock CEO, Larry Fink, warns of risks posed to markets by climate change
BlackRock is seeking to assert belated leadership after having failed to combat climate change for most of the last decade. With $7tn in assets, the world’s largest fund manager is
Earthshot Prize
The Earthshot Prize is an ambitious and prestigious effort organized by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to incentivize change and help repair our planet over the next ten years.
UN Environment Programme: Emissions Gap Report 2019
Each year for the last decade, the UN Environment Programme’s Emissions Gap Report has compared where greenhouse gas emissions are headed, against where they should be to avoid the worst
Philanthropy’s Critical Nuclear Moment
Philanthropy’s potential role in the science and development of nuclear power is significantly constrained, both by the overlap with impact investors and the traditionally dominant role played by government, especially
Jamie Dimon, 180 CEOs of Business Roundtable unveil new understanding of business purpose
Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Chairman of Business Roundtable, with support of 181 CEOs, released a new Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation,
Cleantech investing rebounds but critical capital gaps remain
Impact Alpha, a news service for “impact” investors, reports on stepped up investment by climate-savvy investors, willing to make long-term bets and data from Cambridge Associates showing a rebound in
Venerable venture capitalist, Ray Rothrock, backs advanced nuclear ventures
Ray Rothrock, the venture capitalist with the most experience backing advanced nuclear ventures, has agreed to serve as an advisor to Nucleation Capital. Ray led Venrock’s investment in Tri Alpha
Peter Diamandis on energy abundance and the future of nuclear
Peter Diamandis, Chairman and Co-Founder of Singularity University, founder and executive chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation, writes a tech blog. We were sent a copy of the email that he
Floating Nuke Power Plants Get Backing From Quant Investor
Gary Bergstrom, a hedge fund manager, is yet another technically-expert and sophisticated investor willing to place a bet on advanced nuclear to solve for clean, inexpensive energy. He’s backing a
Ocasio-Cortez’ Green New Deal Leaves the Door Open to Nuclear
Green New Deal sponsor Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez still has an “open mind” on nuclear energy. “I don’t take a strong anti- or pro-position on it,” the New York Democrat said about
Nuclear power can save the world
Some of the smartest thinkers on the planet recognize the potential for nuclear power to be the white knight we need for climate change. Writing for the The New York
N.E.L.A. reintroduced, Bill Gates “thrilled”
Bill Gates wrote: “I’m thrilled that senators from both sides of the aisle have come together to support advanced nuclear. This is exactly the kind of leadership our country needs
N.E.I.M.A. becomes law
S512, the Nuclear Energy Innovation Modernization Act reforming NRC processes to better adapt to Advanced Nuclear, was signed into law on January 14, 2019 with bi-partisan co-sponsors and overwhelming support
The Nature Conservancy: The Science of Sustainability
The Nature Conservancy recognizes that nuclear must be part of our clean energy mix. They state in their Sustainability: “In order to both meet increased energy demand and keep the
N.E.I.C.A. becomes law
S97, the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act of 2017, enabling the use of National Lab facilities to test private advanced nuclear designs, was signed into law on September 28, 2018
Wind and Solar Power Advance, but Carbon Refuses to Retreat
The world’s carbon intensity of energy, namely the amount of CO2 spewed into the air for each unit of energy consumed, has not budged much Kyoto was held, 20 years
Fisticuffs Over the Route to a Clean-Energy Future
Democrats in the United States Senate and in the California Assembly have proposed legislation calling for a full transition to renewable energy. In doing so, they are relying on scholarly
A Roadmap for US Nuclear Energy Innovation
The Winter edition of Issues in Science and Technology has published a selection of very thoughtful essays from some of our smartest and most successful investors and academics. In a
Molten salt, not new but renewed
The Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) achieved criticality on June 1, 1965, having taken about two years and a total of $80 million to build. In 1968, it became the first
Obama hosts White House Summit on Nuclear Energy
President Barack Obama hosted a White House Summit on Nuclear Energy just prior to his trip to Paris, France for the UNFCCC’s COP 21, the Paris Conference of the Parties,
Pope issues landmark encyclical on climate
The following prayer, coming at the end of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’: On Care for our Common Home, sums up much of the 246 paragraphs of exhortation which comprise the
Billionaires backing nuclear
Paul Allen, Sir Richard Branson, Ray Rothrock, Steve Kirsch, Stewart Brand and Bill Gates support nuclear energy. In “Why Billionaire Paul Allen Backed Pro-Nuclear Power Film Pandora’s Promise,” author Kerry
Scientists have urged exploration of carbon-fixing solutions for a long time
Back in 2007, scientists recognized that curtailing emissions from our use of energy was going to be very difficult, and they began to urge research into ways to “fix” carbon