It is often said that nuclear energy is experiencing a renaissance and Wyoming has the opportunity to play a significant role in several different areas of this dynamic industry. The Equality State’s first nuclear energy power plant is TerraPower’s NatriumTM demonstration facility, which is under construction in Kemmerer. Wyoming has the opportunity to leverage this first-of-a-kind plant to grow its nuclear energy sector to create jobs and economic development. In this episode, Dr. Krutka interviews Jeff Navin, TerraPower’s Director of External Affairs, to discuss the many factors driving a resurgence in nuclear energy in Wyoming, the Nation, and the world – and to talk about the reason Wyoming was selected as the first host site.

Like most energy states, Wyoming has stranded infrastructure due to the boom and busts associated with energy production, including in the Powder River Basin where a coal bed methane industry has been decimated by a decade of low natural gas prices. An original UW School of Energy Resources center of excellence, the Center for Biogenic Natural Gas Research, was created to find ways to leverage that stranded infrastructure. Led by Dr. Michael Urynowicz, the Center invented a way to use the microorganisms in deep coal seams to create new, renewable gas using agricultural waste. That technology is being commercialized by a spin-off company called Cowboy Clean Fuels, led by CEO Ryan Waddington. Cowboy Clean Fuels has big aspirations and could change the fate of stranded infrastructure while creating new Wyoming energy products. In this episode, Dr. Krutka sits down with Dr. Urynowicz and Mr. Waddington to talk about science, technology, and commercialization.

Eli Ellis is a researcher at the Center for Carbon Capture and Conversion at the School of Energy Resources. In this episode, Dr. Krutka and Mr. Ellis discuss his time as a student studying mechanical engineering at the University of Wyoming, why he wanted to stay in his home state of Wyoming, and why he is choosing to spend his early career as part of an SER team researching technologies that consume Wyoming coal for non-energy uses. Mr. Ellis specifically discusses his work on a process called 'pyrolysis' that generates a char used for a variety of novel products.

Cindy Crane is the CEO of PacifiCorp and the Chairwoman of SER’s governance board, the Energy Resources Council. In this episode, Dr. Krutka and Ms. Crane discuss her long and distinguished career in the electricity sector, the future of the utility sector, her time on the Energy Resources Council, and her approach to leadership.

Like other energy sources, Wyoming exports most of the electricity it produces into complicated electricity markets. Todd Snitchler is a nationally recognized expert on electricity issues, especially wholesale electricity markets, and joins the podcast to shed light on Wyoming's electricity consumers and markets generally. As the CEO of the Electric Power Supply Association, he represents companies that own competitive power generation assets and advocates for policies that focus on achieving and maintaining well-functioning and properly regulated competitive wholesale electricity markets. In this episode, Todd and Dr. Krutka discuss his interesting career and views on current challenges to the Nation's electricity grid, especially reliability issues.

Professor Todd Allen is the Chair of Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences at the University of Michigan. After serving in the Navy, he earned a PhD in nuclear engineering and has spent his career working on issues related to the nuclear industry. In this episode, Dr. Allen and Dr. Krutka discuss his career, the important role of national labs, the development of advanced nuclear reactors, and his dedication to ensuring that the national and international discussion of nuclear energy includes voices far more diverse than just nuclear engineers.

Rob Creager is the Executive Director of the Wyoming Energy Authority, an entitiy with a mission is to advocate, facilitate, and advance Wyoming's energy economy. In an all-of-the above state, WEA covers the entire energy spectrum, including all sources of generation and extraction, distribution through transmission lines, pipelines and export facilities, as well as end use and consumption. In this episode, Mr. Creager and Dr. Krutka discuss WEA's porfolio of responsibilities, actions being taken, collaboration between WEA and SER, and Mr. Creager's own drive to remain in Wyoming and build a career helping the largest industry in his home state.

Jeff Merrifield is an attorney and partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, a law firm focusing on the technology and life sciences, energy, financial, real estate, and construction sectors. Jeff is a former Commissioner of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and leads the energy section at Pillsbury Wintrhop Shaw Pittman. He is widely recognized as an international thought leader on nuclear energy. In this episode, Dr. Krutka asks him about different types of nuclear energy, where the industry is going and the role Wyoming can and should play in this sector.