{"id":1803,"date":"2024-10-18T09:42:39","date_gmt":"2024-10-18T09:42:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=1803"},"modified":"2024-10-19T19:14:08","modified_gmt":"2024-10-19T19:14:08","slug":"learning-to-love-nuclear-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=1803","title":{"rendered":"Learning to love nuclear power"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

It\u2019s been an encouraging week for fans of nuclear power. Amazon announced investments in three \u201cinnovative nuclear energy projects<\/a>,\u201d alongside Citadel\u2019s Ken Griffin, that should deliver five gigawatts of zero-carbon energy over the next 15 years. Google announced a partnership with Kairos Power, which it described as \u201cthe world\u2019s first corporate agreement<\/a> to purchase nuclear energy from multiple small modular reactors.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s just this week. Microsoft last month announced a partnership with the energy firm Constellation to reopen a nuclear reactor<\/a> on Three Mile Island\u2014yes, that<\/em> Three Mile Island<\/a>\u2014to come online in 2028.<\/p>\n

Why the sudden nuclear renaissance? The energy needed to power data centers for AI is one reason. The need to reduce carbon emissions amid climate change is another. Public support for nuclear energy has been growing in recent years<\/a>. While nuclear power is clean, nuclear fission<\/a>, the process to produce it, uses radioactive materials that can cause deadly levels of radiation if released into the environment in an accident.<\/p>\n

I recently spoke with Patti Poppe, the CEO of California\u2019s Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) for the Leadership Next<\/em> podcast that\u2019s sponsored by Deloitte, which also supports this newsletter. Poppe has been focused on turning around the company\u2019s operations, safety record, and culture, after PG&E\u2019s culpability in the 2018 Camp wildfire put the utility into bankruptcy. Poppe believes the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant is \u201can important part of the mix.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe conversation has changed globally and here in the United States,\u201d says Poppe. \u2018I think the nation has realized that we can operate nuclear units safely, that, yes, it was scary in the seventies, but that is a long time ago. And we have realized that there are ways, just like with wildfire prevention, where we have a risk mitigation system in place at our nuclear power plant where we can fail safely.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

What\u2019s different is the emergence of small modular reactors or SMRs. Although versions have been around for years, the U.S. government and private corporations began making serious investments in developing them over the past decade. With their smaller and more flexible size, they can be quickly scaled up and adapted to a range of needs.\u00a0But none are yet online in the U.S. and will need to clear regulatory approval.<\/p>\n

Bob Nardelli, the former Chrysler and Home Depot CEO, understands the landscape from his days at GE Power. Through his private-equity investment firm, X-LR8, Nardelli is now invested in BWX Technologies (BWXT), which makes a range of nuclear components and services. \u201cI think it\u2019s the solution for the future,\u201d says Nardelli. \u201cYou don\u2019t get line sag (sudden voltage drops), distribution loss, fires due to lightning hitting electrical lines and the life cycle is extradordinary.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

More news below.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Diane Brady
diane.brady@fortune.com
Follow on LinkedIn<\/a><\/p>\n

TOP NEWS<\/h3>\n

23andMe CEO speaks after board’s exit<\/strong><\/p>\n

In her first interview since the entire board of the company resigned in September, 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki told Fortune<\/em>‘s Lila MacLellan that she believe’s the genetics testing company “can navigate and land this plane.” 23andMe’s stock cratered for years before the board resigned and some former executives describe Wojcicki’s management style as controlling and stubborn. Fortune<\/em><\/p>\n

Meta lays off, again<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sources close to Meta tell Fortune\u00a0<\/em>that around 100 employees were laid off this week as CEO Mark Zuckerberg continues to insist on “efficiency” at the tech company. This is the third round of layoffs at Meta this year.\u00a0Fortune<\/em><\/p>\n

TSMC joins $1 trillion club<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) now has a market cap of over $1 trillion after the chip manufacturer posted impressive earnings Thursday morning. The company’s success signals that the AI boom is still going strong.\u00a0Fortune<\/em><\/p>\n

Correction: Yesterday’s newsletter incorrectly stated that Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan’s first name is “John.” We regret the error.<\/em><\/p>\n

AROUND THE WATERCOOLER<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
This is the web version of CEO Daily, a newsletter of must-read global insights from CEOs and industry leaders. Sign up to get it delivered free to your inbox.<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s been an encouraging week for fans of nuclear power. 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