New Voices - Is Nuclear Energy The Key To Powering The Age Of AI?

Nuclear engineer & former Miss America, Grace Vanderhei joins Chuck Todd to break down the realities of nuclear energy—what’s safer than most people think, what genuinely needs fixing, and why public perception has lagged so far behind the science. From how she got into nuclear engineering to how disasters like Fukushima reshaped the industry’s momentum, Grace explains why rare accidents dominate the narrative, even as nuclear power remains one of the safest jobs in the country. The conversation explores America’s aging nuclear infrastructure, the challenges of upgrading decades-old plants, and why rising grid demand from AI is pushing utilities to restart and refurbish reactors instead of building new ones. Chuck and Grace also dig into the promise and limits of small modular reactors, the unresolved problem of nuclear waste storage, and how pop culture—from Homer Simpson to Hollywood—has warped the way we think about nuclear energy, all while pointing listeners to where they can follow Grace’s work and research. Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! Go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 00:45 Why the ToddCast decided to do the “New Voices” series 01:45 Grace Vanderhei is a former Miss America, now promoting nuclear energy 02:30 Nuclear energy is generally safe, but when it’s not safe it’s catastrophic 03:30 Environmentalists are split on nuclear power 04:45 Demand for power is way up, nuclear power will be needed to meet it 8:15 Grace Vanderhei joins the Chuck ToddCast 9:30 How Grace got into nuclear engineering 13:00 Advances in the tools engineers use 14:30 Fukushima disaster set back momentum in nuclear industry 15:45 Every nuclear facility stores emergency backup parts close by 17:15 Disasters are rare, but capture the public perception of nuclear 18:45 Nuclear tends to be more associated with weapons than energy 20:45 How big of a concern is America’s aging nuclear infrastructure? 23:15 Difficulties with updating decades old nuclear pants? 24:45 Grid demand from AI has led to restarting old nuclear plants 25:30 Refurbishing vs. building new nuclear plants 26:45 The nuclear plant decommissioning process 28:45 Three mile island wasn’t far into decommissioning before refurbishment 30:45 The development of small, modular nuclear reactors 32:15 Small modular reactors are on submarines, not used commercially yet 33:45 Safe, workable SMR’s are still a few years away 35:30 Other countries have surpassed US’s ability to build nuclear power 36:15 Which popular misconceptions are easiest to debunk? 37:30 There are only 6 safer jobs than working at a nuclear plant 38:45 Environmental community has always been divided over nuclear 40:15 Challenges of storing nuclear waste 41:15 There aren’t great current options for storing commercial nuclear waste 43:45 Is Homer Simpson good or bad for perception of nuclear energy? 45:15 Where you can find Grace’s work See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.