Following earlier approval for SMRs, Illinois lawmakers have now lifted the state’s 30-year moratorium on large-scale nuclear construction as part of a new clean energy bill advancing grid reliability and storage.
In a post-election shift, Germany’s nuclear lobby argues that up to six shuttered reactors could technically return to service, as the new government weighs options to reduce energy costs and import dependency. Operators remain opposed, but the public debate over nuclear’s role is reemerging...
Published by Nucleation Capital in Advanced Nuclear, Climate change, Climate Costs, Climate policy, Electrification, Energy transition, Environmental support for nuclear, Fission, Government support, International support for nuclear, LINKS, Nuclear R&D, Nuclear-inclusive energy policy, Politicians supporting nuclear, Solving climate
Valerie Gardner is quoted alongside other climate and nuclear advocates describing shifts in the level of acceptance of nuclear power and calling for more investment in clean, reliable energy.
Published by Nucleation Capital in Advanced Nuclear, Big Tech, Climate policy, Electrification, Energy transition, Environmental support for nuclear, Fission, Future of Energy, NEWS, Regulatory reform, Solving climate, US competitiveness, Venture capital support for nuclear
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Monday that the state will build a major new nuclear power plant producing at least 1 gigawatt of electricity...
Climate tipping effects may be kicking in
For those tracking the state of the climate, the report published by the BBC showing that tropical forests were being destroyed at the fastest recorded rate over the last year, was frightening, with the prospect of total forest dieback and "savannisation" of these areas is a growing risk.
Compounding the loss of old-growth tropical forests in 2024 (estimated to have covered an area as large as Ireland) and the release of their carbon stores, is the loss of the moisture and climate systems maintained by those forest ecosystems, which previously provided localized cooling effects, produced cloud cover and contributed to the atmospheric moisture necessary for rain. These had also helped to brighten the earth, thereby reflecting more of the sunlight that otherwise would cause heating. This moisture and water cycle activity gets destroyed along with the trees, plants and animal life. This climatic loss to broad areas may be having more of a negative feedback effective on the planet's overall warming than has previously been recognized.
Global Surface Temperature Change (published 2/3/25)
This news add yet more data to the alarming report published in February by Dr. James Hansen, Dr. Pushker Kharecha and a team of sixteen other climate scientists plainly titled "Global Warming Has Accelerated: Are the United Nations and the Public Well-Informed? In it, Dr. Hansen's team explains that global temperatures have leaped up more than a half degree (0.7°F or 0.4°C) over the last 2 years, with a total average temperature rise of +1.6°C relative to the temperature at the beginning of last century (the 1880-1920 average). This reflects a temperature rise over the +1.5°C (or 2.7°F) level that we set as our goal for maximum increase. As of the last year, we've already exceeded that level.
These increases have, according to Hansen, baffled Earth scientists, as the increase's magnitude was literally off the charts. There were multiple explanations presented as to what could have caused such a big increase. Declining aerosol pollution was seen as a key contributor, by reducing nuclei that aided cloud formation and thus reflection of sunlight, thereby effectively darkening earth and allowing more heat to be absorbed. These are very troubling and portentious changes that may, in fact, show that feedback effects are already accelerating the heating impacts of our CO2 emissions, such that they no longer follow a direct relationship.
Dr. Hansen's report received considerable criticism both because it departed scientifically from the mainstream's more conservative consensus of a lower rate of warming and climate "sensitivity," as determined by the IPCC, and because it called for "a complement to the IPCC approach" to "avoid handing young people a dire situation that is out of their control." In a response to some of that criticism, Drs. Hansen and Karecha decried the ad hoc opinions, ad hominem attacks and sense that the media has gravitated towards reporting the opinions of just a small handful of scientists, rather than covering the total community and range of analyses, including their own.
Dr. Anatassia Makarieva, an atmospheric physicist, responded to this debate with a substack post titled "On the scientific essense of Dr. James Hansen's recent appeal." In it she agreed with Drs. Hansen and Karecha that many scientists were understating the degree of climate forcing but also shared her sense that many of the climate models in use, including Dr. Hansen's, erroneously ignored the major role of the biosphere in the climate destabilization that we are now experiencing. Which may, she argued, partially explain why none of the models predicted the heat anomaly of the 2023 - 2024 time period. Dr. Makarieva writes:
Why is this [i.e. accurate climate models] so important? Unless external causes of this recent temperature anomaly are identified, we may be dealing with a self-reinforcing process — for example, of reduced cloud cover causing more warming, this warming causing even less clouds and so forth until something truly ugly happens to our planet. But, if so, such a process could be started by many factors and does not necessarily need CO2 to kick off. For example, deforestation-induced reduction of evapotranspiration in the Amazon is associated with extreme heat events. This alone could trigger the warming that could then self-amplify via cloud (or some other) feedbacks.
Whether or not we have permanent self-reinforcing amplification happening with the climate now is being debated, partially thanks to new voices like Dr. Makarieva's, entering the field. What is clear, however, is that the fewer clouds, aerosols, snow cover, sea ice and also more invisible sources of water vapor (such produced by tropical forests and other natural ecosystems) the darker the earth is and the more sunlight gets through and heats the ground, the oceans and the air. This heating further impacts existing vegetation, ice sheets, permafrost and bodies of water negatively, which then also contribute more CO2, more fires, and further darkening of earth's surface. Earth's climate has been in a state of equilibrium for eons. Given what is happening with the climate now, it appears that it is leaving that state of equilibrium.
According to some reports, the Earth has "dimmed" by 0.5% in the past 25 years. We've known this and scientists have been able to track decreases in sea ice at the poles, a major factor in global warming. We're now seeing the climate effects of reductions in aerosols (due to the shipping industry trying to clean up their act and emit less aerosols), and we're seeing reduced cloud cover. The bottom line is that even just looking at cloud feedbacks, the more the climate warms, the fewer the clouds. The fewer the clouds, the more the planet warms. This feedback loop is enough to take us into very dangerous territory. Which is yet another reason why we want to prevent the loss of tropical forests, not just because of the CO2 impacts but because of the cloud and water vapor impacts. This feedback loop could explain why the rate of heating of the planet has increased beyond what was expected, even by scientists like Zeke Hausfather and James Hansen.
Dr. Hansen continues to urge immediate action and has proposed that "a multitude of actions are required within less than a decade to reduce and even reverse Earth’s energy imbalance for the sake of minimizing the enormous ongoing geoengineering of the planet; specifically, we will need to cool the planet to avoid consequences for young people that all people would find unconscionable."
References:
BBC, Tropical forests destroyed at fastest recorded rate last year, by Mark Poynting and Esme Stallard, May 20, 2025.
Columbia University, Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions, "Global Warming Has Accelerated: Are the United Nations and the Public Well-Informed?, published in Taylor & Francis, February 3, 2025 by James E. Hansen, Pushker Kharecha, Makiko Sato, George Tselioudis, Joseph Kelly, Susanne E. Bauer, Reto Ruedy, Eunbi Jeong, Qinjian Jin, Eric Rignot, Isabella Velicogna, Mark R. Schoeberl, Karina von Schuckmann, Joshua Amponsem, Junji Cao, Anton Keskinen, Jing Li, and Anni Pokela
Biotic Regulation and Biotic Pump Substack, "On the scientific essense of Dr. James Hansen's recent appeal." by Dr. Anatassia Makarieva, an atmospheric physicist, May 19, 2025.
Published by Valerie Gardner in Advanced Nuclear, Asset manager support, Brilliant thinkers, Carbon emissions, Climate change, Climate innovation fund, Climate mayhem, Construction costs, Energy abundance, Environmental support for nuclear, Extreme weather, Future of Energy, International support for nuclear, Investor activity, Land Use by Energy, LINKS, Nuclear competitiveness, Nuclear financing, Nuclear innovation, Nuclear maritime propulsion, Nuclear R&D, Philanthropic support for nuclear, Politicians supporting nuclear, Pro-nuclear campaign, Solving climate, Solving nuclear waste, US competitiveness, Venture capital support for nuclear, Zero emission energy
Nucleation Capital is growing!
Seeking help increasing our syndicate deal flow
The level of activity and new venture formation in the areas of advanced nuclear and deep decarbonization innovation is growing rapidly. Nucleation Capital is seeking to expand our reach and connect with as many of these new ventures as we can. We are thus pleased to invite you to work with us to help us expand our syndicate deal flow and earn a share of our upside syndicate compensation. Here's how it works.
You find and connect with a young, growing venture that fits our thesis. If this venture is actively looking to raise capital and has a fundraising pitch deck, you introduce them to us and we will review their deck. If we agree that it is a promising prospect, you can offer to help them raise capital through our pronuclear investor network and syndicate. If they like that idea and agree to give us an allocation of equity, you will then produce a deal memo and we will float a syndicate to help them raise capital.
When investors agree to participate in the syndicate, they pay no management fee but they agree to pay carried interest to the deal sponsor, which is Nucleation Capital. Depending upon your contribution to creating the deal memo and promoting the SPV, we will provide a fair split of the carried interest fee earned from the successful exit of this venture.
There are two ways that you can work with us to bring us potential deals and earn participation on the success of the ventures you bring:
1. Venture Associate: If you are a young professional keen to learn how to help ventures raise capital with some spare time to devote to meeting new teams and making introductions, we will bring you on as a Venture Associate. You'll get training, guidance on how to find and connect with new ventures, and invitations to participate in due diligence sessions as well as other opportunities to enage with our syndicate team. We'll help you build your skills in this area and show you how to evaluate new ventures.
2. Ventury Ally: Perhaps you are a bit too busy to take on the task of writing deal memos but you are well connected, want to help worthy ventures raise capital and would like to make introductions. We invite you to join our team as a Venture Ally and we will delegate syndicate prep tasks to another member of our team. We would welcome your help connecting us to new teams working in our sectors through simple introductions.
This is an incredible opportunity for those keen to learn the ins and outs of the venture capital industry and for those who are deeply connected into the start-up world to help to help build stronger ventures.
Learn more here about this opportunity to join Nucleation's syndication team.
Published by Valerie Gardner in Advanced Nuclear, Capital reallocation, Carbon emissions, Climate change, Energy abundance, Energy transition, Environmental support for nuclear, Fission, Future of Energy, Investor activity, NEWS, Nuclear competitiveness, Nuclear innovation, Nucleation communications, Solving climate, US competitiveness, US technological leadership, Venture capital support for nuclear, Zero emission energy
Dr. James Hansen's year-end update contains an admonishment right in the title, "A Miracle Will Occur" Is Not Sensible Climate Policy." Those who have followed his work and his typically well-tempered writing will recognize this as a very strong indictment of what we've not done to date to address climate change. This is, for this mild-mannered scientist, the equivalent of "Hey Guys, Get your S _ _ T together!"
Dr. Hansen proceeds to call "bunk" on the assertions from both the COP 28 Chairman and the UN Secretary General who imply that the goal of keeping temperature rise to below 1.5°C is still feasible. According to Dr. Hansen, the already banked warming will take us beyond 2.0°C "if policy is limited to emission reductions and plausible CO2 removal." In other words, he makes it clear that this is now merely wishful thinking and does not reflect a realistic understanding of the way that emissions released create future warming, which he calls "Global Warming in the Pipeline" and describes in the linked paper.
The only realistic approach is to take true climate analysis that is informed by knowledge of the warming "forcing" effects and to use that to drive decisions about policy options. If we can possibly use the next several years to define and commence more effective policies and courses of action, then there is a modicum of a chance that we can still save the future for our young people. If this isn't a bomb of an alarm, it would be hard to say what else would be, especially because the IPCC has made it very clear that major ecosystems, starting with coral reefs and then, therefore, all marine life, will be threatened with substantial (90%) collapse by 1.5°C and with 100% by 2°C.
Unfortunately, climate science is complicated and most people don't have a good understanding of the "human-made forcings that are driving Earth's climate away from the relatively stable climate of the Holocene (approximately the past 10,000 years.)" Even if they could grasp the implications about climate science from the graphs that Dr. Hansen and his team provide, very few are even reading Hansen's work. These graphs are very scary but clearly they are not being used as the basis for policy discussions by either politicians, government agencies (like the EPA), or by leading environmental groups and that is likely the primary reason why many people are still arguing about renewables versus nuclear power, thinking they have a certain luxury of time, rather than saying "Renewables and nuclear, YES!"
For his part, Dr. Hansen doesn't make it as easy as he could for those with less expertise in climate science. He spends a lot of effort discussing two major climate forcings: greenhouse gases (GHGs) and aerosols (fine airborne particles), which in fact have opposing forcings. But then goes into detail on many other related forcings. This level of detail may provide a more scientifically accurate picture of what is going on but it makes for much sparser readership. Clearly, there are many different kinds of feedback loops, including how the aerosols impact cloud formation, albedo effects and also the way the ocean absorbs a considerable amount of the warming that is happening to our climate. It's important that he understands these effects but it takes considerable sifting work to get to the point that what it all adds up to is that there is much more warming that has occurred than what we are actually now experiencing, so in fact, the effect of warming will be accelerate and we're now seeing this.
Even for those of us who finding climate science fascinating, this 14-page paper is incredibly dense and gets relatively badly bogged down with details on things like cloud forcings, albedo changes, reviewing differences between expected temperatures and real world measurements, catching up with a 40-year old mystery having to do with the last glacial maximum and describing the impacts of an "experiment" that occurred when the International Maritime Organization limited sulfur content in ship fuel and the variability introduced by El Nino and La Nina events. The bottom line of quite extensive discussion that few will wade through, is that global warming is now accelerating. This is very important but definitely buried. The key graphic of the whole paper depicts this acceleration.
On page 7, we finally get to the implications of global warming acceleration. As shown in the above graph, were the warming happening at a steady rate, we'd be on the green dotted line. Instead, we are veering off into the yellow zone of accelerated warming, which means that we'll "exceed the 1.5°C mark within the next few months and reach a level far above 1.5C by May 2024."
Hansen, while recognizing that there could be some up and down based upon El Nino and La Nina effects, believes that the baked in energy imbalance already "in the pipeline" means that it does not serve anybody's interests to "wait a decade to declare that the 1.5°C limit has been breached." In summary, Hansen argues that, "unless purposeful actions are taken to reduce our present extraordinary planetary energy imbalance," the 2°C global warming limit will also be breached.
By its very nature of having a delayed, baked-in response, human-made climate change makes this an intergenerational issue. What we have done in the past is already having consequences but what we do today and going forward will mostly impact the next generation for better or worse.
To his credit, Hansen dives yet again into Climate Policy, unlike most other scientists. This has been long been a huge source of frustration for him and you can almost see him stomping on his own hat, in his anger and impatience with the political processes that have thwarted action. First he reviews just what makes solving cilmate extra hard, starting with the fact that the principal source of GHGs is fossil fuels, which are in his words "extremely beneficial to humanity." They have raised starndards of living worldwide and still provide 80% of the world's energy. "Fossil fuels are readily available, so the world will not give up their benefits without equal or better alternatives." Because of this conundrum, we are near a point of no return, where extreme consequences can spiral out of humanity's control.
Dr. Hansen has been a first-hand witness to humanity's failure to act over the last 35 years or so and his exasperation with that and his desperation to communicate to those in power about our increasingly limited options is abundantly clear. He's been advising governments around the world on possible approaches with little of the urgent response that is warranted. He delves into some of these details but then finally hones on in the three actions that are required to successfully address climate and achieve the bright future we desire for our children.
The first is a near-global carbon tax or fee. It is the sine qua non required to address the "tragedy of the commons" problem" wherein fossil fuels waste products can be dumpted in the atmosphere for free. There can be a range of approaches, yet something that penalizes those dumping GHGs is required to be enacted globally. A corollary to a carbon fee is a "clean energy portfolio standard," with government policies that are far more supportive of nuclear power.
The second major policy requirement, is the need for the West to cooperate with and support the clean energy needs of emerging and developing nations. There are economic imbalances with developed nations having caused the past emissions but emerging nations increasingly being the driver of future emissions:
The clear need is to replace the world’s huge fossil fuel energy system with clean energies,
which likely would include a combination of “renewables” and nuclear power. Even if the
renewables provide most of the energy, engineering and economic analyses indicate that
global nuclear power probably needs to increase by a factor of 2-4 to provide baseload power
to complement intermittent renewable energy, especially given growing demands of China,
India and other emerging economies. The scale of China’s energy needs makes it feasible to drive down the costs of renewables and nuclear power below the cost of fossil fuels.
Lastly, Dr. Hansen proposes that "a multitude of actions are required within less than a decade to reduce and even reverse Earth’s energy imbalance for the sake of minimizing the enormous ongoing geoengineering of the planet; specifically, we will need to cool the planet to avoid consequences for young people that all people would find unconscionable."
References:
"A Miracle Will Occur" is Not Sensible Climate Policy, by James Hansen, Pushker Kharecha, Makiko Sato, Columbia University, Earth Insitute's Climate Science & Solutions, December 7, 2023.
Columbia University, Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions Newsletter, "Groundhog Day. Another Gobsmackingly Bananas Month. What’s Up?, sent on January 4, 2024 from the same team.
"Dire Warnings from Dr. Hansen and Team, by Valerie Gardner, Nucleation Capital, Dec. 22, 2023.
Published by Nucleation Capital in Advanced Nuclear, Asset manager support, Brilliant thinkers, Carbon emissions, Climate change, Climate innovation fund, Climate mayhem, Construction costs, Energy abundance, Environmental support for nuclear, Extreme weather, Future of Energy, International support for nuclear, Investor activity, Land Use by Energy, LINKS, Nuclear competitiveness, Nuclear financing, Nuclear innovation, Nuclear maritime propulsion, Nuclear R&D, Philanthropic support for nuclear, Politicians supporting nuclear, Pro-nuclear campaign, Solving climate, Solving nuclear waste, US competitiveness, Venture capital support for nuclear, Zero emission energy
About the Pronuclear Climate Movement
Pronuclear climate advocacy has been around for only about a decade but it has grown rapidly. It consists mostly of young people who understand the urgency of the climate crisis and recognize that nuclear energy is a way to help us transition away from fossil fuels. They believe we should protect existing nuclear plants providing large amounts of clean energy and build more. They have worked to save plants slated for premature closure, like Diablo Canyon in California and Palisades in Michigan. And they continue to work to save existing nuclear plants around the world, reform clean energy policies that exclude nuclear and favor renewables and educate the public about the benefits of nuclear. This is a reflection of growing support for nuclear power in general and a recognition that the goal of the climate movement is to prioritize retirenent of fossil fuel plants—whose massive volume of waste emissions is forcing the warming of our planet—not shut nuclear, whose waste hurts no one and is actually a valuable future energy resource.
The pronuclear movement consists of mostly smaller, independent groups that do grassroots organizing around a theme, such as working to prevent the closure of a local nuclear power plant. Fortunately, many of these groups are interconnected yielding suprisingly effective coordination when it matters. Many also have broader goals, such as the Climate Coalition, which aims to strengthen the climate movement overall by uniting climate activists of all stripes in support of an "all-of-the-above" nuclear-inclusive approach to clean energy. These groups can use your help.
How to Support the Pronuclear Climate Movement
For those who want to support nuclear power in addition to (or in lieu of) investing in next-generation technologies through Nucleation Capital, we provide the following recommendations:
- Stop Supporting Anti-Nuclear Organization: Stop sending donations to the Sierra Club, NRDC, 350.org, Friends of the Earth, League of Conservation Voters, or Greenpeace. These large NGOs remain staunchly anti-nuclear and that is primarily what is dividing the climate movement.
- Urge your NGO to Prioritize Climate: If you have been a member or supporter of an anti-nuclear environmental group, let them know you don't support their anti-nuclear positions—which are contrary to their supposed efforts to solve climate—and won't support them until they acknowledge the value of nuclear energy for combating carbon emissions.
- Actively Support Pronuclear Groups: Throw your support behind one or more of the pronuclear nonprofits that are working hard to save existing power plants and to advocate for nuclear power. We have curated the following lists to help you find organizations or individuals to support.
Nucleation's Top 5 Pronuclear Organizations
1. CALIFORNIANS FOR GREEN NUCLEAR POWER
Californians for Green Nuclear Power, led by Dr. Gene Nelson, has been a driving force for political accountability and responsible energy decision-making in California. Shedding light on sweetheart backroom political deals being cut by Governor Jerry Brown that were contrary to the public interest, CGNP filed suits and/or petitioned to become a party to CPUC and FERC proceedings. CGNP's work as an intervenor has been instrumental in helping to save Diablo Canyon. CGNP's in depth research continues to pose obstacles to efforts to overturn the California legislature's extension approval are being filed. (Donations can be mailed to CGNP at 1375 East Grand Ave Ste 103 #523, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420-2421.)
2. MOTHERS FOR NUCLEAR
Mothers for Nuclear was created on Earth Day 2016 by the power team of San Luis Obispo-based Heather Hoff and Kristin Zaitz, two moms to better represent the voices of women and mothers in support of Diablo Canyon and nuclear energy in general. Coordination with Californians for Green Nuclear Power, Save Clean Energy and many other groups enabled Governor Newsom to respond to strong public pressure to save Diablo Canyon when appealing to the California Legislature. Progressive women remain predominantly opposed to nuclear power, but Mothers for Nuclear have begun to rebuild the social norm of women being pronuclear. (Donations can be made online. EIN: 81-3349003)
3. GENERATION ATOMIC
Generation Atomic was created by Eric Meyers to represent the voices of younger generations and empower them to express support for nuclear in every type of venue and forum where discussions of how solve climate change is happening. The group creates fun, engaging, public actions in an effort to safeguard our future by championing the cause for nuclear energy. Not only do they use research, communication and relationship-building to advocate for nuclear, their actions typically involve dancing, singing, inflatable costumes and humor to inspire, empower and engage youth and defang anti-nuclear wrath. Operatic nuclear arias, anyone? (Donations can be made online. EIN: 81-4500446)
4. THORIUM ENERGY ALLIANCE
Thorium Energy Alliance was started in 2006 by John Kutsch to bring together scientists and energy experts who believe that thorium should be recognized as a high-value nuclear fuel and not treated as waste. Thorium is far more abundant and less radioactive than uranium, yet was rejected early on in the development of nuclear fuel. This despite evidence that the use of thorium is feasible and can be highly cost-effective. TEA works to raise awareness about thorium and hosts conferences, posts videos and serves as a central organizing and educational entity for many nuclear advocates, which history was beautifully captured in the Frankie Fenton documentary film "Atomic Hope." (Donations of cash or cars can be made online.)
5. CLIMATE COALITION
Climate Coalition was founded in 2016 by Valerie Gardner and a group of technology-oriented climate activists who recognized how much stronger the climate movement would be if climate advocates were not fighting amongst themselves. Unfortunately, activists who support renewables often ardently oppose nuclear power and vice versa. Climate Coalition views this internecine conflict as the primary reason why global effort to transition to 100% clean energy systems are delayed everywhere. So long as this fighting continues, demand for and investment in fossil fuels will remain strong. Join Climate Coalition to show your support of unity against carbon emissions.
MORE PRONUCLEAR GROUPS
There are many other worthy groups, so we've listed more of them below, followed by influencers, authors, podcasters and artists (alphabetically)
THINK TANKS & EXPERT NON-PROFITS (Alphabetical listing)
Anthropocene Institute, founded by Carl Page, bringing a pro-technology perspective and working to connect engineers, entrepreneurs, investors, institutions and thought-leaders to solve the world's greatest challenges. Helping to expand awareness of solid state nuclear activity and its potential to solve energy issues.
The Breakthrough Institute, Ted Nordhaus leads this global research think tank that identifies and promotes technological solutions and policies to environmental and human development challenges.
Campaign for a Green Nuclear Deal, Madison Hilly founded this group to serve as a nationwide advocate articulating a vision for nuclear power as the industrial heart of sustainable and enduring American prosperity that creates dignified, high-wage jobs, revives American industrial capability, and re-establishes the U.S. as the global leader of this critical technology.
Clean Air Task Force, led by Armond Cohen, analyzes and advocates for the technologies and policies needed to get to a zero-emissions, high-energy planet at an affordable cost, so the energy needs of all people are met efficiently without damaging the air we breathe or the atmosphere.
ClearPath, Rich Powell heads up this a center-right think tank whose mission is to develop and advance conservative policies that accelerate clean energy innovation and climate solutions.
Climate Protection & Restoration Initiative, Dr. James Hansen, Donn J. Viviani and other climate and legal experts, have sued the US EPA to demand its proactive enforcement of the Clean Air Act as already permitted by the existing statute against emitters of carbon dioxide pollution.
Doctors for Nuclear Energy, Dr. Chris Keefer leads an international, volunteer group of doctors that see nuclear energy as an irreplaceable part of the just transition to a low-carbon future.
ecoAmerica, founded and run by Bob Perkowitz, ecoAmerica moves society toward climate solutions by inspiring and empowering trusted national institutions and their millions of stakeholders in local communities across America to visibly act and advocate, with a commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
Emergency Reactor, Zion Lights, a former Greenpeace activist, grew disenchanted with Greenpeace because of its antinuclear stance and founded this European-based group to provides accurate nuclear education and counterpoint to antinuclear myths.
Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) is the only non-profit, membership organization of local governments adjacent to or impacted by U.S. Department of Energy activities. We bring together local government officials to share information, establish policy positions, and promote community interests to address an increasingly complex set of constituent, environmental, regulatory, and economic development needs.
Energy Impact Center, Bret Kugelmass founded this group to offer strategic direction through a "first principles" analysis of global energy systems and focusing on areas of highest impact, through research, impactful communications and kick-starting real projects. Also, Bret is host and creator of the Titans of Nuclear Podcast.
Fastest Path to Zero, Dr. Todd Allen leads an interdisciplinary team of experts, including University of Michigan faculty, staff, and students, working to support communities as they plan and pursue ambitious climate goals, offering a variety of assessment, siting, reporting, and big data analytic tools combined with a passion for human-centered design and engagement, to help communities transform their energy systems while adapting to a changing climate.
Good Energy Collective, Dr. Jessica Lovering, Suzy Hobbs Baker, Dr. Rachel Slaybaugh launched this group to rethink nuclear policies from the ground up, in order to enable nuclear energy to help humanity reach ambitious climate goals. Using modern, socially-grounded and equitable approaches based upon progressive, democratic values, Good Energy Collective develops practical approaches to bring nuclear implementation and not just technology into the 21st century.
The Long Now, Stewart Brand founded this organization to foster long-term thinking to make mankind into a better ancestor and preserve possibilities for future generations, by imagining what our needs will be over a 10,000 year timescale, rather than just in the here and now.
Nuclear Alternative Project. Puerto Rico has been an energy deficient country since Hurricane Maria struck a few years back. In response, the Department of Energy has granted the Nuclear Alternative Project the responsibility of preparing Puerto Rico to possibly build advanced nuclear reactors, as an alternative energy option for Puerto Rico. Unlike wind and solar, nuclear power plants hold up well in hurricanes, which show no sign of abating especially as climate gets worse.
Nuclear Innovation Alliance, Judi Greenwald leads this donor-funded think tank and industry-adjacent team that aims to bring economically competitive zero-carbon energy to the world by supporting entrepreneurialism and accelerated innovation through policy analysis, research and education.
Nuclear New York, Dr. Dietmar Detering, Isuru Seneviratne and more, is an independent, non-partisan advocacy organization working towards a prosperous decarbonized future and nature conservation, advocating for the application of nuclear energy to meet the need for reliable, emission-free energy along with well paid meaningful work that underwrites vibrant, healthy, and prosperous communities in New York and beyond.
The Oppenheimer Project, Charles Oppenheimer and family, launched this group in tandem with the release of the film, "Oppenheimer," to use the legacy of J. Robert Oppenheimer to promote thought-leadership, advocate for an expansion of nuclear energy free from the threats of proliferation or weaponization and to invest in the energy transition to carbon-free sources, including nuclear energy.
Radiant Energy Group, a think tank, research organization and corporate advisory founded by Mark Nelson and Richard Ollington, which provides leaders with the data, messaging and broader insights they need to create nuclear-inclusive roadmaps towards decarbonization. Recently published results of their global survey of public attitudes towards nuclear.
Rethinking Nuclear, Richard Steeves and others founded this group to help those taking a fresh look at why we need nuclear power and rethink positions based upon misinformation or misconceptions about the technology that are wrong.
Save Clean Energy, Isabelle Boemeke founded this group to cultivate and amplify the social media-based grassroots movement that she has developed to protect existing clean energy resources, while championing new clean infrastructure.
Stand Up for Nuclear, Paris Ortiz-Wines founded this team to serve as the international hub for global nuclear activism, providing resources, empowering action and helping individuals advocate for the protection and expansion of nuclear energy around the world.
TerraPraxis, Erik Ingersoll and Kirsty Gogan founded this organization to design and promote transformative strategies to address the most significant risks to the energy transition — mapping uncharted decarbonization territory, with a mission to accelerate scalable, innovative and equitable solutions for unsolved areas of the climate and energy challenge. Now focusing on the coal to nuclear transition.
Third Way, Josh Freed heads this national think tank that champions modern center-left ideas on a wide range of critical issues, from energy to agriculture.
WePlanet (previously RePlanet), founded by a group of European youths to broadly save the future and advocate for the prioritization of real, science-based solutions. They bravely tackle a number of big thorny issues, including the need to rethink and deploy advanced technologies for food production, nuclear power and GMOs.
INFLUENCERS, AUTHORS, PODCASTERS, ARTISTS and FILMS
A
- Rod Adams, founder of Atomic Insights, launched in 1995 to engage in exploration and critical discussion of nuclear power and the nuclear industry by one of the partners of Nucleation Capital; and host of The Atomic Show: A long-running companion podcast series featuring Rod's interviews of and conversations with nuclear experts.
- Meredith Angwin, wrote the first book explaining in lay terms the perils inherent in our power grid, “Shorting the Grid: The Hidden Fragility of our Electric Grid.” Previously, Angwin inspired and taught a generation of activists how to advocate for nuclear power in "Campaigning for Clean Air."
B
- Mathijs Beckers, is an author and vlogger who runs the Nuclear Humanist YouTube channel. He is the author of "Highway to Dystopia: About spaceship Earth, Climate Change and more" as well as Climate Zero Hour, The Non-Solutions Project, and Science a la Carte. He is raising funds for his latest pronuclear project here.
- Isabelle Boemeke, creator of the “Isodope” persona, an uber-stylish futuristic nuclear influencer featured in creative videos accessible by TicTok, Instagram and "X" tweets, which aim to educate the social media generation about nuclear energy. Ms. Boemeke is also the founder of Save Clean Energy, which led an initiative to send a letter to Governor Newsom urging him to save Diablo Canyon, signed by 79 scientific experts. She has also given a powerful pronuclear TED Talk.
- Baba Brinkman, a science rapper, poet and performer, with the world's most extensive oeuvre of nuclear rap.
- Robert Bryce, author, journalist and host of the Power Hungry Podcast, wrote "A Question of Power: Electricity and the Wealth of Nations," and produced the documentary Juice: How Electricity Explains the World. Bryce just released a new, 5-part documentary series called Juice: Power, Politics & the Grid, available for free on YouTube.
C
- Gwyneth Cravens, author of "Power to Save the World: The Truth about Nuclear Energy."
D
- Jack Devanney, author of the Substack: Gordion Knot News, dedicated to solving the twin problems of energy poverty and global warming.
F
- Frankie Fenton, produced the documentary, Atomic Hope, which follows the birth, pains and growth of the pronuclear movement.
G
- Joshua Goldstein and Staffan Qvist, wrote "A Bright Future: How Some Countries Have Solved Climate Change and the Rest Can Follow." This book was picked up and made into a powerful documentary by Oliver Stone, called Nuclear Now: Time to Look Again, in 2023.
H
- Dr. Robert Hargraves, author of "Thorium, Energy Cheaper than Coal" and prolific tweeter
- Kyle Hill, produces a wonderfully accurate and entertaining series of Youtube videos, including "Is Nuclear Power 'Too Expensive?'"
- Heather Hoff, a co-founder of Mothers for Nuclear, is known to show up to official meetings to speak extremely articulately on behalf of saving nuclear power plants, with her young child in tow.
K
- Dr. Chris Keefer, articulate Canadian nuclear advocate, founder of Doctors for Nuclear Energy and the Decouple podcast, focused on the challenge of decoupling energy production from carbon emissions.
L
- D.J. LeClear, The Rad Guy, posts extensively with easy to understand explanations about nuclear power, radiation and waste issues.
- Zion Lights, Everything is Light, has an engaging Substack covering her learning process about nuclear energy.
N
- Gene Nelson, Californians for Green Nuclear Energy: Prolific researcher and author of detailed legal analyses, legal briefs and published OpEds submitted on behalf of CGNP as an intervenor in California CPUC actions revealing and critiquing efforts by those seeking to replace clean nuclear energy with dirty coal or gas, of the nefarious going on's—often behind "closed doors" or hidden in data reporting euphemisms—which have enabled efforts by PacifiCorp and others to sell coal power to California without it being acknowledged as such by CAISO.
- Mark Nelson, Radiant Energy Group: Founder and preferred nuclear advocate in debates on nuclear energy, as well as a key influencer and consultant providing a range of strategic services to improve communications and engage key stakeholders.
O
- Richard Ollington, Radiant Energy Group: Articulate nuclear influencer and researcher providing a range of strategic services including unique types of data collection, to provide data-driven reports and pronuclear communication strategies for business and policy leaders.
P
- Carl Page, Anthropocene Institute: Articulate nuclear advocate, philanthropist and investor bringing a pro-technology perspective and working to connect engineers, entrepreneurs, investors, institutions and thought-leaders to solve the world's greatest challenges, including support for development of low energy nuclear reactors (LENR).
- Emmet Penney, Nuclear Barbarians: Articulate nuclear author and podcaster interviewing a range of nuclear experts about the industry, its successes and challenges.
Q
- Staffan Qvist and Joshua Goldstein co-wrote "A Bright Future: How Some Countries Have Solved Climate Change and the Rest Can Follow." This book was picked up and made into a powerful documentary by Oliver Stone, called Nuclear Now: Time to Look Again, in 2023.
S
- Dave Schumacher, produced The New Fire, a wonderful documentary about next-generation nuclear and some of the founders who have launched ventures)
- Isuru Seneviratne, co-founder of Nuclear New York, is a data guru who has developed expertise in presenting energy data in a clear and compelling way that helps bring attention to the energy faux pas of those entrusted to do the right thing, specifically NYISO.
- Oliver Stone, produced Nuclear Now: Time to Look Again, a 2023 documentary, based upon the Joshua Goldstein book, "A Bright Future."
- Robert Stone, produced the highly influential 2013 documentary, Pandora’s Promise, arguably the first pronuclear documentary ever produced, which has subsequently inspired the pronuclear movement.
T
- Nick Touran, Ph.D, P.E., What is Nuclear?: A technical blog that aims to enlighten the public about the capabilities of nuclear energy so that society may embrace it as an improvement in many aspects over current energy sources. Answers many common questions and concerns about nuclear power.
Y
- Dan Yurman, Neutron Bytes: Publishes posts and provides resources and references regarding advanced nuclear projects, expert resources and published literature about nuclearpower, and advocacy groups.
[Note: This Nuclear Advocacy page is a work in process and is neither comprehensive or completely up to date. Not included in this list are industry professional organizations, such as ANS, NEI, Nuclear Matters, World Nuclear Association, Women in Nuclear or North American Young Generation in Nuclear. If you have suggestions or corrections, please use the comment box to provide that information and we will endeavor to post it.]
Updated: April 25, 2025
Published by Valerie Gardner in Brilliant thinkers, Climate change, Climate policy, Energy abundance, Environmental support for nuclear, Fission, International support for nuclear, Investor activity, NEWS, Nuclear-inclusive energy policy, Nucleation communications, Philanthropic support for nuclear, Pro-nuclear campaign, Solving climate, Solving nuclear waste, Women in Nuclear, Zero emission energy
Nucleation Capital sponsored free screenings of Oliver Stone's timely documentary, Nuclear Now, through June. Now you can stream this film through iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, Microsoft Store/X-box, and cable-on-demand platforms like Comcast, Spectrum and Cox. Stone finally clears away the myths and fictions about this powerful source of carbon-free energy with a surprisingly positive and even encouraging film. Learn why a growing number of energy and climate experts call for the use of nuclear power in humanity's fight against fossil fuel emissions.
Oliver Stone’s documentary “Nuclear Now” opened in New York, Los Angeles and other markets across the U.S. and Canada on April 27th with great critical acclaim. Many theaters held a panel discussion after the screening, so viewers could continue the conversation. We hosted a series of virtual panel discussions that were well attended. We have one final panel planned for later this summer. If you would like to learn about that and have not previously signed up to attend an event, use this registration link and we will send you an invitation to this event. If you have already signed up for an event, you don't need to do so again.
Schedule of Events
April 27, 2023
May 1, 2023
The film premiers in 350 theaters around the the country. Check for theaters and purchase tickets online through this link.
May 2, 2023
(5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET)
The 1st VIRTUAL PANEL DISCUSSION, hosted by Nucleation Capital, for those who were able to attend a viewing during the film's premier in theaters. To obtain the calendar invite and Zoom Link to attend this discussion, click this link to register. [PAST EVENT]
May 11, 2023
(5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET)
The 2nd VIRTUAL PANEL DISCUSSION, hosted by Nucleation Capital, for those who were able to access the GWU screening link. To obtain the calendar invite and Zoom Link to attend this discussion, click this link to register. [PAST EVENT]
May 25, 2023
(5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET)
The 3rd VIRTUAL PANEL DISCUSSION, hosted by Nucleation Capital, for those who register to view the film through Nucleation's Sponsored Screening Link. Fill in our registration form, and we will send you a link to download and stream the film. You will also receive a calendar invite and Zoom Link to attend this discussion, click this link to register. [PAST EVENT]
June 6, 2023
(5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET)
The 4th VIRTUAL PANEL DISCUSSION, hosted by Nucleation Capital, for those who register to view the film through Nucleation's Sponsored Screening Link. Fill in our registration form, and we will send you a link to download and stream the film. You will also receive a calendar invite and Zoom Link to attend this discussion, click this link to register. [PAST EVENT]
Stay tuned . . .
(Nuclear Movie Director Panel . . . being planned for later this summer.)
Streaming and other licenses
The Nuclear Now Film
(https://nuclearnowfilm.com)
There are many ways that NUCLEAR NOW can be licensed for viewing by groups or institutions through the filmmaker and media partners, including RoCo and Participant Media. Please visit the website to learn more.
Original publication date: April 29, 2023. Updated May 15 and June 30.
Published by Valerie Gardner in Brilliant thinkers, Carbon emissions, Climate change, Climate mayhem, Climate policy, Energy abundance, Environmental support for nuclear, Fossil fuels, Future of Energy, NEWS, Pro-nuclear campaign, US technological leadership, Zero emission energy
Grist writes: "US support for nuclear power soars to highest level in a decade: As the country looks to decarbonize, nuclear’s popularity continues to climb." This is what Akielly Hu, Grist's News and Politics Fellow, reports following the release by Gallup of a survey that found that 55 percent of US adults support the use of nuclear power. This total is up four percentage points in a year, and "reflects the highest level of public support for nuclear energy use in electricity since 2012."
Among other findings, the survey found that Republicans are more likely to favor nuclear energy than Democrats, which partisan divide is particularly visible at the state level, with more pro-nuclear policies adopted in Republican-controlled states than left-leaning ones. Nevertheless, support for nuclear energy by Democratic is also on the rise, in part due to advances in nuclear technologies and new federal climate laws that clarify the fact that nuclear power is carbon-free energy and can help in efforts to solve climate change.
The Biden administration has identified nuclear energy as a key climate solution to achieve grid stability in a net-zero future. The administration is pushing for the deployment of advanced nuclear reactor models that improve on the safety and efficiency of traditional reactor designs. These designs will all be far more consistent and reliable than wind and solar energy, which vary depending on the weather. The broader shift in public opinion and, in particular, Democratic opinion toward nuclear energy, is at least partially a function of strong pronuclear leadership coming from the Biden Administration and the DOE under Secretary Jennifer Granholm.
Read more at Grist, US support for nuclear power soars to highest level in a decade, by Akielly Hu, May 9, 2023.
Published by Nucleation Capital in Advanced Nuclear Customers, Brilliant thinkers, Capital reallocation, Carbon emissions, Climate change, Climate policy, Construction costs, Corporate purpose, Energy abundance, Environmental support for nuclear, Extreme weather, Future of Energy, Government support, Investor activity, LINKS, Nuclear competitiveness, Nuclear financing, Nuclear innovation, Nuclear R&D, Nuclear-inclusive energy policy, Nucleation communications, Politicians supporting nuclear, Private companies, Solving climate, US technological leadership, Zero emission energy
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