Keynote: The Empire State of Atom

The Nuclear Imperative: Energy Security,Decarbonization and 24/7 Power

This fireside chat examines nuclear energy's critical role in addressing three interlocking challenges:
ensuring energy security in an increasingly uncertain geopolitical landscape, meeting ambitious
decarbonization targets, and providing reliable 24/7 power for a rapidly electrifying economy. What
role should nuclear play in energy independence strategies? How do reliability challenges of
intermittent generation sources strengthen the case for nuclear expansion? What policy frameworks
best support nuclear as a cornerstone of clean energy transitions?

Design to Deployment: Nuclear Technologyand Supply Chain

This panel addresses critical innovations in reactor design, manufacturing approaches, and supply
chain optimization that can accelerate deployment timelines and reduce costs for new nuclear
projects. Discussion will focus on lessons from recent successful builds globally, strategies for
modularization and standardization to improve construction efficiency. How does the coordination between technology providers, construction firms, and operators need to evolve? What practical
pathways exist for scaling from demonstration to commercial deployment and what advanced
manufacturing techniques transform nuclear construction?

Rad Future

This fireside chat provides a visionary perspective on the role of nuclear energy in a sustainable, prosperous world. It will challenge conventional thinking about energy systems and highlight the
transformative potential of nuclear.

Policy and Regulatory Innovation: CreatingPathways for Rapid, Equitable Nuclear Deployment

This panel examines regulatory frameworks and policy mechanisms that reduce deployment
barriers while creating broad-based economic benefits. It explores successful models from around
the world reduce nuclear development costs, schedules, and risks. How should electricity markets
evolve to properly value nuclear's reliability and zero-carbon attributes? How can federal, state, and
local regulatory approaches create clear pathways? How to build effective coalitions across labor,
industry, environmental, and community stakeholders? What is the role for public power entities?

Age of AI: Accelerating Clean Energy and Industrial Growth

This panel will explore the synergistic relationship between artificial intelligence and nuclear energy,
examining how AI and advanced computing are driving unprecedented electricity demand while
simultaneously offering tools to accelerate the advancement of energy solutions. Discussion will
address: Nuclear’s unique ability to meet the reliability needs of digital infrastructure, how small
modular reactors serve distributed computing needs? How can AI tools improve nuclear plant
design, licensing, operations, and maintenance? What opportunities exist for co-locating data
centers with nuclear facilities?

Innovating Finance: De-risking Through New Models and Capital Stacks

This panel will delve into innovative financing mechanisms and investment structures that can
reduce the cost of capital for nuclear projects and distribute risk more effectively. What financing
models from other long-lived, capital-intensive industries could be applied to nuclear projects? How
can public and private capital be most effectively blended to reduce financing costs? How can
nuclear's grid reliability and climate attributes be monetized to improve project financing? What role
should international financial institutions and philanthropic foundations play to catalyze commercial
investment in advanced nuclear, especially in emerging markets? What innovative risk-sharing
mechanisms could transform nuclear project financing?

Socio-Economic Multiplier: Workforce and Community Benefits

This panel will explore how nuclear energy can create lasting socioeconomic benefits through highpaying, multi-generational jobs, substantial tax revenues, and community investment. Key questions
include: what strategies build diverse talent pipelines? How can labor unions and industry
collaborate to create career pathways with family-sustaining wages? What benefit-sharing
mechanisms ensure equitable distribution of economic opportunities? How can nuclear projects
advance environmental justice goals while supporting just transition for fossil fuel communities?