Matthew Wald - Energy Analyst & Writer

Matthew Wald is an independent energy analyst and journalist who has worked for the New York Times and the Nuclear Energy Institute. In this episode of the YPE Podcast, he sits down with hosts Mark and Carolyn to discuss the climate crisis, nuclear power's potential, and the "mythology" in the public perception of solar. Show Notes: 01:08 Matthew's background with journalism and energy 06:25 Filling an energy knowledge gap at the New York Times 08:20 The energy sector's challenges from climate change 09:39 Adapting to climate events vs. mitigating them 11:55 Why the electric grid must evolve to reduce the impacts of carbon 14:25 Nuclear power's future role in the energy mix 18:02 Benefits of smaller-scale nuclear reactors 19:23 The impacts of political rhetoric on energy policies 23:15 Matthew's transition to the Nuclear Energy Institute 24:22 Nuclear power's public perception and the "mythology" surrounding solar 34:12 How the media would be involved in a nuclear fleet expansion 43:20 How we have squandered time to solve the carbon problem 45:38 What Matthew would change in the nuclear regulatory environment 49:28 New reactor companies' approach to reducing licensing burden 51:30 Matthew's advice for young professionals in the energy sector Matthew's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-l-wald-206b0464/ Matthew's work at the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/by/matthew-l-wald