Despite its characteristics as a clean energy source, nuclear energy has not been a priority in the energy transition to date. Countries like Germany have shut down their last nuclear plants despite of the loss of pipeline natural gas from Russia and the US has been on a similar path with the Palisades and Diablo Canyon power plant closure decision as an example. You mention nuclear power and most people think of nuclear accidents like Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima Daiichi. But despite those high-profile safety accidents, nuclear energy maybe seeing a comeback. A new plant has opened at Vogtle in Burke County, near Waynesboro, Georgia. The first nuclear power plant in the Middle East has opened in the UAE and a fourth-generation plant opened in 2023 at the Shidaowan plant in China's northern Shandong province. Add to these events, talk of small modular reactors and growing interest in nuclear plants to power the new AI data centers and maybe the idea of a comeback is not so crazy. In this episode we talk with Dr. Naj Meshkati from USC about nuclear energy and risk management of potential future nuclear power plants.

Industrial processes like the manufacture of steel, cement, fertilizers and petrochemicals, especially plastics, account for one-third of our global energy use. The world now produces annually about 4.5 billion tons of cement, 1.8 billion tons of steel, nearly 400 million tons of plastics, and 180 million tons of ammonia. Their manufacture requires high temperatures, which is often the case, the heat comes from burning fossil fuels. What is the path to decarbonize industrial processes? In this episode we talk to two researchers from the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines about their recent work on “green steel and carbon sequestration.” Let’s welcome Anna Littlefield and Edikan Udofia.

S2 E10 | Energy Security Plan for the Middle East

Many universities study the topic of the future of energy or the energy transition as a policy issue or from research in environmental science. USC is adding another facet with a look at energy systems from the aspect of business. Dr. Shon Hiatt from the Marshall School of Business at USC is our next guest on the podcast. Dr. Hiatt is the director of the Business of energy transition initiative. His new course looks at traditional business models for fossil fuel-based industries as well as new entrepreneurial models for alternative energy sources. This is a critical background for new graduates thinking about the start up route to join the energy transition. Listen in and see what you can learn from Dr. Hiatt.

We return to the issue of electrification of transportation that we touched on in season one with two distinguished guests, Dr. Genevieve Guiliano from USC and Dr. Beia Spiller from the Resources for the Future. This topic is more than just about how many EVs are sold and how many charging stations are built but about re-imaging mobility and its impact on our lifestyles. Modern cities in the United States were built for cars so we have made room for roads and parking spaces and refueling stations. The famed American lifestyle was developed around car ownership and the freedom of the road. But what might a different future of mobility look like? Listen in while we talk to two researchers that think about those options and implications for a living.Diesel has 35.9 MJ/liter, lithium ion battery has 2.6, so the ratio is 17 times, Data source – Green, 2017

In 2023, 10% of US new car sales were battery electric or plug-in hybrid, and in California the 2024 new car sales share is about 25%. CA provides additional incentives to the federal, suggesting that the public policies have had an effect Sales data sources: https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2024/trends-in-electric-cars; https://calmatters.org/environment/climate-change/2025/02/electric-car-sales-stall-california/

We return to the issue of electrification of transportation that we touched on in season one with two distinguished guests, Dr. Genevieve Guiliano from USC and Dr. Beia Spiller from the Resources for the Future. This topic is more than just about how many EVs are sold and how many charging stations are built but about re-imaging mobility and its impact on our lifestyles. Modern cities in the United States were built for cars so we have made room for roads and parking spaces and refueling stations. The famed American lifestyle was developed around car ownership and the freedom of the road. But what might a different future of mobility look like? Listen in while we talk to two researchers that think about those options and implications for a living.

S2 E5 | Carbon Management Technologies

We are going to focus the next three episodes on the Utility perspective with the theme of “Hug Pylons not Trees” or “This is not your grandparents Grid”. Most of us don’t really care where energy comes from but we do care when it is not available (storms or extreme weather) or the monthly electric bill gets too expensive. But our recent interview with utility expert Stephen Collins from SoCalEdison will shed some light on how complex our electricity grid is becoming with the addition of renewable energy sources. With the goal of reducing emissions and moving towards a net-zero ecosystem, we are introducing a lot of complexity in the lives of our utility providers. Let’s explore more about what is happening behind the electricity meter.https://www.edison.com/clean-energy/pathway-2045 Pathway to 2045