Recommended Reading

Curated resources to get up to speed with nuclear energy

Understanding energy's future requires staying current with the best thinking in the field. We've assembled key resources that illuminate the challenges and opportunities in industrial power generation, with special focus on nuclear development and implementation

Juice The Series
By
Tyson Culver
Subject matter
Politics of Nuclear Power
Description

is a five-part documentary series that examines the vulnerabilities in modern electrical grids and advocates for nuclear power as a solution. The series investigates how political decisions and profit-driven policies have compromised grid reliability across different regions. The first episode focuses on Texas's 2021 winter blackout crisis, when the state's independent power grid nearly experienced a catastrophic failure that could have caused massive casualties. Director Tyson Culver explores both the immediate causes of this near-disaster and the broader systemic issues that made it possible.

The Case for 2 mSv/day. 2.0.
By
Jack Devanney
Subject matter
Radiation
Description

Jack Devanney examines radiation damage, DNA repair mechanisms, and their implications for nuclear power plant safety standards. He traces how radiation exposure limits were drastically reduced after 1950 despite a lack of evidence of harm at the original "tolerance dose" of 2 millisieverts per day. Through analysis of cellular biology and repair processes, Devanney argues that these lower limits are unnecessarily restrictive, leading to costly evacuations like those at Fukushima that caused more harm than the radiation itself. He concludes that returning to evidence-based radiation limits would make nuclear power more economically competitive with coal.

Nuclear Power not only should be cheap; it was cheap: 3 cents/kWh cheap.
By
Jack Devanney
Subject matter
Cost of Nuclear Power
Description

Jack Devanney analyzes why nuclear power plants became extremely expensive to build in the West. Using historical data and comparisons with coal plants, he argues that nuclear power should naturally be cheaper due to its simpler physical requirements. However, he explains how costs rose dramatically in the 1970s due to a combination of the oil crisis and an ever-tightening regulatory system, leading to today's high nuclear construction costs. Devanney concludes these costs are not inherent to nuclear technology but rather the result of regulatory problems.

Atomic Awakening: A New Look At The History And Future Of Nuclear Power
By
James Mahaffey
Subject matter
History of Nuclear Power
Description

The American public's introduction to nuclear technology was manifested in destruction and death. With Hiroshima and the Cold War still ringing in our ears, our perception of all things nuclear is seen through the lens of weapons development. Nuclear power is full of mind-bending theories, deep secrets, and the misdirection of public consciousness, some deliberate, some accidental. The result of this fixation on bombs and fallout is that the development of a non-polluting, renewable energy source stands frozen in time.

Earth is a Nuclear Planet: The Environmental Case for Nuclear Power
By
Mike Conley & Tim Maloney
Subject matter
Misconceptions about nuclear
Description

Faced by the looming catastrophe of devastating climate change, more and more environmentalists and climate scientists are turning to nuclear power as the cleanest, safest, and ultimately least costly technology for generating the electricity we all need. But there are many myths and conceptions about nuclear energy, irresponsibly hyped by the sensational media, which require to be understood, debunked, and cleared away. Earth Is a Nuclear Planet goes through all these myths and misconceptions, carefully noting all the fallacies and misunderstandings which plague discussion of the energy options confronting humankind.

Titans of Nuclear
By
Bret Kugelmass
Subject matter
General
Description

"Titans of Nuclear" is a podcast series that features in-depth interviews with leaders, innovators, and experts in the nuclear energy field. Host Bret Kugelmass speaks with scientists, entrepreneurs, policy makers, and industry professionals about nuclear technology, research, and the future of clean energy. The show explores both technical and policy aspects of nuclear power while making complex topics accessible to a general audience.

Nuclear Now
By
Oliver Stone
Subject matter
Climate Change
Description

"Nuclear Now" (2023) is Oliver Stone's documentary that makes a case for nuclear power as a solution to climate change. The film tours nuclear facilities worldwide and features interviews with experts to challenge common fears about nuclear energy, arguing that it's a safe and essential carbon-free power source.

Atomic Awakening: A New Look At The History And Future Of Nuclear Power
By
James Mahaffey
Subject matter
History of Nuclear Power
Description

The American public's introduction to nuclear technology was manifested in destruction and death. With Hiroshima and the Cold War still ringing in our ears, our perception of all things nuclear is seen through the lens of weapons development. Nuclear power is full of mind-bending theories, deep secrets, and the misdirection of public consciousness, some deliberate, some accidental. The result of this fixation on bombs and fallout is that the development of a non-polluting, renewable energy source stands frozen in time.

Earth is a Nuclear Planet: The Environmental Case for Nuclear Power
By
Mike Conley & Tim Maloney
Subject matter
Misconceptions about nuclear
Description

Faced by the looming catastrophe of devastating climate change, more and more environmentalists and climate scientists are turning to nuclear power as the cleanest, safest, and ultimately least costly technology for generating the electricity we all need. But there are many myths and conceptions about nuclear energy, irresponsibly hyped by the sensational media, which require to be understood, debunked, and cleared away. Earth Is a Nuclear Planet goes through all these myths and misconceptions, carefully noting all the fallacies and misunderstandings which plague discussion of the energy options confronting humankind.

Nuclear Now
By
Oliver Stone
Subject matter
Climate Change
Description

"Nuclear Now" (2023) is Oliver Stone's documentary that makes a case for nuclear power as a solution to climate change. The film tours nuclear facilities worldwide and features interviews with experts to challenge common fears about nuclear energy, arguing that it's a safe and essential carbon-free power source.

Titans of Nuclear
By
Bret Kugelmass
Subject matter
General
Description

"Titans of Nuclear" is a podcast series that features in-depth interviews with leaders, innovators, and experts in the nuclear energy field. Host Bret Kugelmass speaks with scientists, entrepreneurs, policy makers, and industry professionals about nuclear technology, research, and the future of clean energy. The show explores both technical and policy aspects of nuclear power while making complex topics accessible to a general audience.

The Case for 2 mSv/day. 2.0.
By
Jack Devanney
Subject matter
Radiation
Description

Jack Devanney examines radiation damage, DNA repair mechanisms, and their implications for nuclear power plant safety standards. He traces how radiation exposure limits were drastically reduced after 1950 despite a lack of evidence of harm at the original "tolerance dose" of 2 millisieverts per day. Through analysis of cellular biology and repair processes, Devanney argues that these lower limits are unnecessarily restrictive, leading to costly evacuations like those at Fukushima that caused more harm than the radiation itself. He concludes that returning to evidence-based radiation limits would make nuclear power more economically competitive with coal.

Nuclear Power not only should be cheap; it was cheap: 3 cents/kWh cheap.
By
Jack Devanney
Subject matter
Cost of Nuclear Power
Description

Jack Devanney analyzes why nuclear power plants became extremely expensive to build in the West. Using historical data and comparisons with coal plants, he argues that nuclear power should naturally be cheaper due to its simpler physical requirements. However, he explains how costs rose dramatically in the 1970s due to a combination of the oil crisis and an ever-tightening regulatory system, leading to today's high nuclear construction costs. Devanney concludes these costs are not inherent to nuclear technology but rather the result of regulatory problems.

Juice The Series
By
Tyson Culver
Subject matter
Politics of Nuclear Power
Description

is a five-part documentary series that examines the vulnerabilities in modern electrical grids and advocates for nuclear power as a solution. The series investigates how political decisions and profit-driven policies have compromised grid reliability across different regions. The first episode focuses on Texas's 2021 winter blackout crisis, when the state's independent power grid nearly experienced a catastrophic failure that could have caused massive casualties. Director Tyson Culver explores both the immediate causes of this near-disaster and the broader systemic issues that made it possible.