Luminaries Discuss the Role of Nuclear Energy in Lifting People into Energy Prosperity

New York, NY — September 25, 2024 — At Climate Week NYC, Anthropocene Institute co-sponsored Nuclear Symposium 2024: Uplifting Humanity, co-hosted by Nuclear New York, Generation Atomic, the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, and the other organizers. Held during the United Nations General Assembly, Climate Week NYC features major announcements, discussions, and interviews with international leadership from business, government, and the climate community.

The nuclear symposium brought together economic development organizations, energy and technology investors, delegations of emerging economies, and international climate/environment groups to discuss opportunities and challenges of scaling up this clean energy technology.

A stellar roster of speakers discussed the role that nuclear energy can play to lift people into energy prosperity while conserving nature and ensuring climate sustainability. The wide-ranging panels also touched on grid policy, financing, nuclear fuel, and conditions for commercial liftoff.

Panels included:

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle

What are the components of the nuclear fuel cycle: from mining, enrichment, to fuel manufacture? What happens at the back end after energy generation? How is spent fuel stored safely? What are the pathways to reuse or recycle spent nuclear fuel? How is the supply chain readying itself to cater to the growing demand?

Featuring: Christina Leggett (moderator), Jacques Mosseri, Carl Perez, Pat O’Brien, & Amir Adnani

The Socio-Environmental Case for Nuclear

What are the implications of deploying the energy source with the least overall ecological impact? How do communities around nuclear plants view them? What are the possibilities for land conservation along with industrial development?

Featuring: Ryan Pickering (moderator), Scott Lathrop, Tea Törmänen, Jason Albritton, & Danielle Butcher Franz

Energy Abundance

How does abundant energy help developing economies? What are they doing to advance firm clean generation from nuclear power? What are the barriers and opportunities in financing, workforce development, and technology transfer?

Featuring: Angelica Oung (moderator), Robert Bright Mawuko Sogbadji, Dr. Charlyne Smith, & Charles Oppenheimer

System Level Challenges of Decarbonization

What are physical, monetary, environmental, and social challenges to decarbonizing economies? What are the enabling conditions to advance clean energy systems? What lessons can the world learn from New York’s climate policies and Georgia’s experience?

Featuring: Alex Kaufman (moderator), Len Rodberg, Lindsay Anderson

Delivery Model and Economics

What are the barriers to nuclear energy deployment: financial, permitting, and supply chain? What are the pathways to overcome these barriers, and where is progress taking place?

Featuring: Dinara Ermakova (moderator), Nick Touran, Isuru Seneviratne, Edward Rios, & Erich Scherer

A special highlight: Baba Brinkman, Nathanology, and Dex McBean from EventRap provided among the most unique performances ever seen at a nuclear energy conference.

Videos of the event can be found here. If you are so inclined, please consider donating to Nuclear New York.