Joe Miller is president of the Advanced Technologies division of BWXT, a leading supplier of nuclear components and fuel to the U.S. government. Show notes: 01:00 Joe's background 03:59 An overview of the BWXT company & its position in the advanced nuclear reactor environment 13:33 Project Pele, a brand new microreactor design 23:01 Technical details & challenges facing the project 31:28 The future of nuclear: Will nuclear ever surpass fossil fuels? What opportunities are available for c...
Mar 06, 2023•39 min
Show notes: 01:08 Steve & Tom's backgrounds 04:45 A high-level view of health physics & radiation's effects on the body 11:55 Identifying radiation threats in New York City 14:24 How and why Nevada resisted housing nuclear fuel for decades 24:36 How could we recycle used nuclear fuel? And why don't we do it now? 39:41 Organizations that are pursuing fast reactor technologies 42:57 The Waste to Energy Now grassroots effort, and the timeline for setting their plan into motion https://waste...
Dec 12, 2022•57 min
Show notes: 01:16 Karin's nuclear & aerospace backgrounds 09:04 What makes the NuScale small modular reactor (SMR) unique? How has the SMR space evolved over time? 13:22 NuScale's path to regulatory license and the trajectory for the company 18:02 Timelines and challenges to implementing the first modules 23:24 Inherently safe features & advantages of the design 27:27 Where Karin sees the nuclear industry in the coming decade; the benefits of gaining a license in the United States 33:08 ...
Dec 05, 2022•39 min
Jeremy Gottlieb is Co-Founder, President, COO, CSO & Board Member of ComboCurve, a cloud-based analytics and operating platform created to help energy companies better manage their forecasting, valuation, reporting, and decision-making functions. In this episode of the YPE Podcast, hosts Mark Hinaman and Mike Sax chat with Jeremy about co-founding and growing the company. Show notes: 01:32 Jeremy's financial background & how he got the itch for entrepreneurship 07:28 What is ComboCurve? ...
Nov 14, 2022•51 min
Show notes: 02:34 Brent's background in finance & introduction to the energy markets; his successful partnership with Firefly CEO 12:06 Founding Firefly; evolving the business and patenting the GasLoop storage technology 22:33 Opportunities and challenges with hydrogen storage 31:29 Projects on the horizon for Firefly 36:44 The best ways to network; how to engage with others on LinkedIn 44:55 Brent's predictions for the future of the energy industry 50:33 Brent's advice for young professiona...
Oct 03, 2022•53 min
Mary Woollen is Director of Stakeholder Engagement at Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation. In this episode of the YPE Podcast, Mary talks with host Mark Hinaman about her passion for social work, her involvement in environmental squabbles, and navigating the nuclear industry as a nuclear skeptic. Show notes: 01:14 How a cross-country road trip led to a prominent environmental lawsuit 18:58 Mary's experience at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as a nuclear skeptic; the numerous roadblocks to the cons...
Sep 26, 2022•57 min
Ryan Pickering is an independent researcher, moderator, and public speaker. In this episode of the YPE Podcast, Ryan chats with host Mark Hinaman about his experience in the solar power industry, and his transition from optimism to pessimism about the technology. Show notes: 01:18 Ryan's lifelong passion for energy 07:30 Working in the emerging solar energy industry 18:33 Transitioning into management roles, but losing faith in solar 33:07 Ryan's exit from the solar industry 40:51 What about nuc...
Sep 19, 2022•55 min
Nick Deiuliis is President & CEO of CNX, a natural gas development and production company centered in the Appalachia region. In this episode of the YPE Podcast, Nick chats with host Mark Hinaman about his 32 years at the company, the state of the natural gas industry, and CNX's plans for the future. Show notes: 00:44 Nick's background & the evolution of natural gas throughout his career at CNX 08:48 The sustainable business model of CNX, and the company's investments in the local communi...
Aug 22, 2022•48 min
Show notes: 00:59 Todd's background with Chevron and Microsoft & his return to chemistry by founding OCOchem 10:27 Eliminating captured CO2 by converting to formic acid; the economics of transporting liquids and gases 26:27 Developing reformers to decompose formic acid into on-demand hydrogen 32:20 Benefitting from renewable energy R&D grants; working with Halliburton Labs 44:02 OCOchem's timeline for commercialization 52:34 What scares Todd in the energy industry; Todd's advice for youn...
Aug 01, 2022•59 min
Laura Singer is a senior policy and regulatory affairs associate at Fervo Energy, a company aiming to combat climate change through geothermal innovations. In this episode of the YPE Podcast, Laura talks with host Mark Hinaman about her fascinating journey to the energy sector, challenges facing the geothermal companies, and her optimism for the future of the industry. Show notes: 00:59 Laura's background & the influence of Hurricane Katrina on Laura's career path 11:03 Laura's oil & gas...
Jul 25, 2022•50 min
Show notes: 00:47 Kurt's background 05:06 Flibe Energy's mission & the lithium fluoride thorium reactor (LFTR) 11:43 Why did pressurized water reactors (PWRs) become more popular? 15:58 Flibe's founding history & advantages to their design 25:32 Reflecting on Idaho National Lab's net-zero carbon goal 33:24 More specs on the LFTR design, and where it fits in the current regulatory environment 41:16 What concerns Kurt about the energy industry? Kurt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/...
Jul 18, 2022•47 min
Show notes: 00:36 John's background in computer science & his path to become CEO at Soluna 06:24 Moore's Law, Wright's Law, and their relationship to the energy industry 10:48 Transitioning from software to energy; providing grid flexibility through computing 22:38 Applications for Soluna's computing solutions, including crypto 30:11 The structure and scale of Soluna's projects 40:01 Why Soluna isn't pursuing flare gas or nuclear projects 46:11 What scares John about the energy sector, and J...
Jul 11, 2022•51 min
On this episode of the YPE Podcast, we bring you the June edition of DEN Talks: Discussions on Energy and Networking. Mark Hinaman, Director of Engineering Innovation at Franklin Mountain Energy and YPE Denver chapter director, discusses the current state of the oil & gas industry and answers YPE member questions about the topic. Show notes: 00:54 Oil & gas contribution to the energy mix 07:36 Weighing inexpensive energy vs. a cleaner climate 12:33 The ripple effects of the Shale Revolut...
Jul 05, 2022•49 min
Show notes: 00:39 Paul's background and diverse roles in the nuclear industry 06:51 The MicroNuclear reactor battery design 16:18 Attempting to gain traction in the industry as a small startup; the benefits of downscaling nuclear reactors from the 1,000 MWe designs 25:00 The science of remaining fail-safe in a station blackout scenario 27:34 The timeline for commercializing the MicroNuclear designs; potential applications 33:05 The unfortunate facts about the current energy climate 39:42 How can...
Jun 20, 2022•50 min
Rod Adams is a Managing Partner at Nucleation Capital, a venture capital firm investing in innovative companies enabling our transition to a carbon-managed economy. In this episode of the YPE Podcast host Mark Hinaman talks with Rod about the nuclear Navy, blogging before blogging was a thing, and investing in exciting companies. Show notes: 00:55 Rod's background and experience in the Navy nuclear program 06:11 Rod's work on the B&W mPower small modular reactor project & some causes of ...
Jun 13, 2022•52 min
Dominique Gómez is deputy director of the Colorado Energy Office. In this episode of the YPE Podcast, Dominique talks with host Mark Hinaman about the many ways that the office works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower consumer energy costs for all Coloradans. Show notes: 00:31 Dominique's background in sustainability and her path to the energy industry 12:00 The scope, scale, and mission of the Colorado Energy Office 17:48 The importance of weatherization to the state 25:35 Reducing em...
Jun 06, 2022•1 hr
On this episode of the YPE Podcast, we bring you the May edition of DEN Talks: Discussions on Energy and Networking. Ariel Smith, Director of Sales at ClearTrace, discusses the current state of carbon capture technologies and answers audience questions about the industry. Show notes: 00:19 Ariel's background and role at Cleartrace.io 02:45 The different scopes of greenhouse gas emissions; carbon accounting & carbon offsets 07:48 Carbon capture and decarbonization in the marketplace 16:37 The...
May 23, 2022•39 min
Miles Abarr is the head of R&D at an incredible new startup, Carbon America. He studied at the University of Colorado and is passionate about reducing carbon emissions globally by creating innovative new technologies to capture carbon at the source of combustion. Show notes: 00:46 Miles's background in compressed air energy storage 09:42 Receiving his PhD at CU Boulder for research in dynamic modeling and energy storage 19:14 Transitioning to a full-time engineer and spinning off the Carbon ...
May 19, 2022•1 hr
Jeff Merrifield is a partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, a global law firm focusing on technology, energy, financial services, and real estate. In this episode of the YPE Podcast, Jeff talks with host Mark Hinaman about the licensing process for building a nuclear reactor, Jeff's time as commissioner of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and what an evolving regulatory environment means for the future of the nuclear industry. Show notes: 01:29 Jeff's background and exciting care...
May 16, 2022•53 min
On this episode of the YPE Podcast, we bring you the April edition of DEN Talks: Discussions on Energy and Networking. Saxon McKinven, Sr. Manager of Origination at National Grid Renewables, discusses the current state of renewables development in the U.S. and answers audience questions about the industry. Show notes: 00:19 Saxon's background and role at National Grid Renewables 03:42 Key considerations for renewables development in the U.S. 14:08 The impact of storage technology on new projects...
Apr 25, 2022•44 min
Mark Nelson is an outspoken nuclear advocate and the managing director of the Radiant Energy Fund. Recently, Mark gave a speech in downtown Denver at an event sponsored by the Denver Petroleum Club, YPE, and the CU Denver Global Energy Management Program. Following the speech, our very own Mark Hinaman joined him on stage to moderate a Q&A session with questions from the audience. Show notes: 02:13 Pros and cons of nuclear vs. oil & gas 09:36 Why are nuclear plants being shut down? 21:19...
Apr 04, 2022•1 hr 1 min
Courtney Tampas is a senior reactor operator (SRO) at Surry Power Station, a nuclear power plant outside Newport News, VA. In this episode of the YPE Podcast, host Sean McGhee talks with Courtney about her work as a nuclear risk analyst, the grueling training campaign to transition to operations, and the most rewarding parts of being an SRO. Show notes: 01:03 Courtney's background and how she got interested in nuclear power 03:46 What is probabilistic risk assessment (PRA); the process of constr...
Mar 14, 2022•36 min
Mike Umbro is an oil & gas entrepreneur. In this episode of the YPE Podcast, Mike talks with hosts Mark Hinaman and Carolyn Lucca about his extensive experience investing in the industry, the discourse and policies surrounding climate change, and how he would change his home state of California. Show notes: 01:16 Mike's background and career path so far 06:54 How Mike has managed to work from California for so long 08:12 Talking finances & investments at Premier Resource Management 16:04...
Mar 07, 2022•58 min
If you listened to last week's episode, you already know Denys Elliot, Commercial Lead for the Advanced Reactor Directorate at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL). In this episode of the YPE Podcast, Denys talks with hosts Mark Hinaman and Sean McGhee about CNL's strategic research initiatives, the exciting work being done with small modular reactors (SMRs), and Denys's insights on the future of the industry. Show notes: 01:29 Denys's background 07:11 The mission of Canadian Nuclear Laborato...
Feb 28, 2022•54 min
On this episode of the YPE Podcast, hosts Mark Hinaman and Sean McGhee speak to the winners of the Atomic Allies' inaugural North America Innovation for Nuclear (I4N) Contest. Denys Elliot, Zac Woods, Ryan MacLeod, and Heidi MacLeod are excited to discuss their concept of combining digital asset mining and small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) to power remote communities around the world and help meet the United Nations' sustainability goals. Show notes: 01:22 Group introductions & backgroun...
Feb 21, 2022•44 min
Brook Papau is a co-founder and CEO of Orennia, where he works with investors and business leaders in the renewables space as they transform their strategies to leverage advanced analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. In this episode of the YPE Podcast, Brook sits down with host Mark Hinaman to discuss his path to the renewables sector, his role in building a billion-dollar company, and his latest venture Orennia. Show notes: 01:27 Brook's background & his indirect path to...
Jan 24, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Chris Pawlik is the founder & CEO of Energy-Producing Retail Realty, Inc. (EPR^2), which owns and operates solar and other energy-producing solutions on behalf of building owners and tenants across California. In this episode of the YPE Podcast, Chris joins hosts Mark Hinaman and Saxon McKinven to discuss the importance of energy rights and what factors he evaluates when pursuing a new project. Show notes: 00:57 Chris's background & growing up in eastern Europe 04:49 Getting into the ene...
Jan 17, 2022•49 min
Dr. Scott Tinker is an internationally renowned energy expert and public speaker. In this episode of the YPE Podcast, Scott joins host Mark Hinaman to discuss the Switch Energy Alliance, a nonprofit organization that strives to develop objective, film-based resources to be used in classrooms across the world to create an energy-educated future. Show notes: 00:47 Scott's energy background & career 05:52 Filming the 2012 and 2020 "Switch" documentaries, and creating the nonprofit Switch Energy...
Jan 11, 2022•55 min
Hillary Stevenson is an oil market enthusiast with over a decade of analysis experience in the industry. In this episode of the YPE Podcast, Hillary joins host Mark Hinaman to discuss Validere's role in valuing commodities at the molecular level, how reducing methane emissions has become a top goal, and her near-term outlook for the energy industry. Show notes: 01:47 Hillary's background and career in energy 03:55 Validere's role as a commodity inventory data aggregator 10:10 Validere's operatio...
Jan 03, 2022•25 min
GreenFlare is on a mission to partner with the oil and gas community to rescue stranded gas and help alleviate the waste of natural resources known as “flaring." On this episode of the YPE Podcast, GreenFlare CEO Ryan Fitzgerald and CTO Dan Jasek join hosts Mark and Carolyn to discuss the collision of energy & crypto! Show notes: 01:12 Ryan and Dan's backgrounds 04:43 GreenFlare's origins and goals to alleviate the waste of "flaring" 10:20 Potential growth and opportunities in the industry, ...
Dec 20, 2021•38 min
