Policy & Regulation Episodes

Jonas Helwig is Swedish-born, French-passport-holding, and was living in Ukraine when the war started. He fled with his wife and their newborn daughter, ended up in Buenos Aires by accident, and his neighbor turned out to be a nuclear energy manufacturer. Over dinner conversations with a pen and paper, they sketched out the N1, and Jonas joined the company. That's how Nuclearis Energy started. In this episode, Jonas walks us through the N1 micromodular reactor: what it is, how it solves the ef...

SNEAK PEAK! Season 4 of Naked Nuclear is about the infrastructure underneath nuclear energy, the laws, regulations, economics, and institutions most people never think about. Ross Matzkin-Bridger is exactly the right person to open that conversation. As Senior Director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative and a senior advisor at the Nuclear Scaling Initiative, Ross has spent 11 years in U.S. government bouncing between nuclear nonproliferation and energy policy. He grew up near reactors in Michigan...

Ed McGinnis said something in our last episode that's hard to shake: 96% of the energy in spent nuclear fuel has never been touched. The physics checks out. But what happens when countries actually try to get that energy back? This After Pop digs into the history of nuclear fuel recycling, not the theory, but the track record. France, the UK, Japan. Staggering sums of money. Complicated results. And a 1977 executive order that changed everything. We break down what PUREX actually does, why Jim...

Imagine filling up your car at a gas station in Washington, DC, and heading toward Richmond. Twenty miles down the road, you pull over, call a tow truck, and scrap the car, with 96% of the fuel still in the tank. That's what we do with nuclear fuel in the United States right now. Ed McGinnis is the CEO of Curio and a former senior official at the U.S. Department of Energy. He's spent decades in nuclear policy and energy security, and he's now building something that could change how we think ab...

Dr. John Zino stood in front of a room of engineers, technicians, and career-changers and told them a nuclear reactor is "just boiling water." Jaws dropped. Really? That's it? Well, yes. And also, that little word "just" is hiding one of the most elegant chains in all of engineering. In this After Pop explainer, we follow a single uranium atom from the moment it splits to the moment your phone starts charging. Fission to heat. Heat to steam. Steam to a spinning shaft. Spinning shaft to electri...

What does it take to explain one of the most misunderstood technologies on Earth? This Final Friday on Naked Nuclear, Danielle sits down with Nick Touran for a new Follow Them Friday episode. Nick is the founder of What Is Nuclear, one of the internet’s most respected resources for understanding nuclear energy, reactor technology, fuel cycles, history, and policy in plain English. In a world drowning in hot takes and cold IQs, he built something useful. We discuss Nick’s journe...

I Asked If Solar Could Power California… and It Got Complicated What started as a simple question turned into a full-blown debate: If solar panels and batteries are getting so good… why does California still need nuclear energy? In this episode, we break down what actually keeps the lights on — beyond headlines, hot takes, and LinkedIn comment wars. What You’ll Learn Why “more solar” doesn’t automatically solve the problem Solar energy is powerful — but it only works when the sun ...

What happens when an environmentalist changes their mind about nuclear energy? In this episode of Naked Nuclear, Danielle sits down with Zion Lights, environmental advocate, award-winning science communicator, and author of Energy Is Life to unpack one of the most important (and uncomfortable) shifts happening in climate conversations today. Zion shares her journey from anti-nuclear activism to becoming one of the most prominent voices advocating for nuclear as a critical solution to...

What an EPC Actually Does: Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Explained What does it actually take to build a nuclear power plant? In this After-Pop! episode of Naked Nuclear, Danielle breaks down one of the most important, and least explained, parts of major infrastructure projects: the EPC contractor. EPC stands for Engineering, Procurement, and Construction, and companies operating in this space are responsible for turning complex reactor designs into real, operating po...

Nuclear power is often described as essential for climate goals, grid reliability, and energy security. But here’s the real question: Can we actually build it safely, on time, and on budget? In this episode of Naked Nuclear, Danielle Allen sits down with Ahmet Tokpinar, Principal Vice President and General Manager of Nuclear Power at Bechtel, to unpack the boots-on-the-ground reality of building nuclear power plants in today’s world. From geotechnical investigations and contra...

Nuclear Commercial Shipping Explained Following up on the CORE Power episode, Danielle dives into the differences between military and commercial nuclear propulsion, emergency planning zones, port safety, and the regulatory framework for nuclear-powered cargo ships. Key topics: – Military vs commercial nuclear ships – Nuclear propulsion vs nuclear electric propulsion – Emergency planning zones for maritime reactors – IAEA and IMO regulatory oversight – How dedicated trade routes will launch the...

Nuclear-powered cargo ships might sound like science fiction—but CORE Power is making them a science reality. In this episode of Naked Nuclear, Danielle sits down with Tobi Menzies and Dr. Rory Megginson from CORE Power to explore how molten chloride fast reactors (MCFRs) and floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs) could transform global shipping. We dive into the engineering, the policy, the people—and the programs—needed to build a clean maritime future. From international emissions policy to...

In this special Women's History Month episode, we dive into the world of nuclear advocacy, mentorship, and the wisdom of motherhood with Heather Hoff , Co-Founder and Vice President of Mothers for Nuclear, and Dr. Jennifer Klay , a nuclear physicist at Cal Poly and Secretary of the organization. Together, we explore how mothers, educators, and industry professionals are shaping the future of nuclear energy. From the role of storytelling in advocacy to keeping Diablo Canyon open, to tackli...

Revealing the True Role of Landmen in the Energy Sector In this episode, we take a closer look at the essential role of landmen in the energy industry, debunking Hollywood stereotypes and exploring their function as intermediaries between energy companies and landowners. Veteran landman Doug Sandridge, with 49 years of experience, shares insights on how their work extends beyond oil and gas to include nuclear energy and renewables. Discussion covers the ethical aspects of land usage, fair nego...

Naked Nuclear Explores: Land Back Movement and Nuclear Advocacy with Doug SandridgeIn this episode of Naked Nuclear, the discussion pivots to the intersections between the Land Back movement and nuclear energy advocacy. Danielle and guest Doug Sandridge, Vice President of Fulcrum Energy Captial Funds, with 49 years in the oil and gas industry and now a nuclear advocate, delve into his evolving stance toward nuclear energy and efforts to save the Diablo Canyon Power Plant. They explore how indig...

Black History Month Spotlight on William D. Magwood IV In this special Black History Month episode of Naked Nuclear, we spotlight William D. Magwood IV, a leader in nuclear energy whose career spans policy, regulation, and international cooperation. From his working-class roots in Pittsburgh to his role as the Director General of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, Bill's journey is explored, highlighting his contributions to U.S. nuclear policy, international technology cooperation, and workforce...

In this episode of Naked Nuclear, Danielle sits down with Steve Rea, the 2024 recipient of the American Nuclear Society Landis Public Communication and Education Award . Steve, a 30-year nuclear industry veteran, discusses his transition to public education and nuclear advocacy in North Carolina. From his beginnings in nuclear chemistry in high school to forming the Nuclear Advisory Council, Steve shares insights on the role of diverse energy sources and the importance of communicating nuclea...

Germany's Nuclear Shutdown: Consequences and Future Prospects Hello everyone! Welcome to the After-Pop! In this episode, we discuss Germany's major decision to shut down its last three nuclear power plants in April 2023. We dive into the historical context, the events that led to this decision, and the aftermath, including the impact on energy prices and carbon emissions. Our conversation touches on public opinion, renewable energy challenges, and whether Germany might reconsider nuclear powe...

Indigenous Stewardship and Nuclear Energy: A Closer Look at the YTT Northern Chumash Tribe In this episode of Naked Nuclear, we explore the rich history and long-standing land stewardship of the yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash tribe, whose ancestral connections span over 10,000 years. We delve into the complex intersection of nuclear energy and indigenous land stewardship, discussing consent-based siting with Ryan Pickering. We highlight values such as sustainability and multi-gen...

In this episode of Naked Nuclear, host Danielle discusses the intersection of nuclear energy and indigenous ethos with guest Ryan Pickering from the Tribal Consent-Based Coalition. The conversation, recorded on Native American Heritage Day, delves into the concept of seven-generation decision-making, as endorsed by Scott Lathrop, and how it impacts energy decisions for a cleaner future. The discussion highlights the rich history of the yak titŷu titŷu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash tribe, their ...

A firefighting, plane flying, nuclear engineering student: Danielle Allen's Unconventional Journey (So Far...) Join Danielle Allen, host of Naked Nuclear, as she shares her weird and wild path from majoring in Near Eastern Studies at Princeton to becoming a firefighter, paramedic, commercial pilot, and nuclear engineering student. In this episode, Danielle explores her diverse career experiences, the challenges she faced, and what led her to a passion for nuclear energy. Her story is about he...

Watts of holiday displays going on right now, huh? Join Danielle in this festive episode of Naked Nuclear as she delves into the real cost of those dazzling holiday light displays. Explore what a watt is, the energy consumption of incandescent versus LED lights, and discover three practical tips to keep your holiday season safe and cost-effective. Danielle also discusses how different states' energy prices can impact your holiday budget and discusses the importance of peak energy hours. Tune...

Unlocking the Policy Power Behind Nuclear Energy Dive into the nuts and bolts of critical climate policies with Danielle Allen as she breaks down some key policies from Ep. 5 with Eric Meyer from Generation Atomic. From the Inflation Reduction Act’s financial incentives for clean energy projects to the Civil Nuclear Credit Program's support for existing nuclear plants, we unpack how these laws are making nuclear energy more viable. Learn about the groundbreaking technologies supported by the ...

A Nuclear Opera with Eric Meyer of Generation Atomic: Merging Energy and Advocacy In this episode of Naked Nuclear, we explore the unlikely parallels between nuclear energy and opera. Host Danielle Allen chats with the founder of Generation Atomic, Eric Meyer, about his journey from an opera singer to a nuclear energy advocate. Meyer discusses his early misconceptions of nuclear power, his groundbreaking work to keep power plants open, and how he uses opera to engage communities in nuclear adv...