YPE Podcast Young Professionals in Energy

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 companies & workers? What skillsets are most sought after?
36:48 Joe's hopes for the coming years in the industry

Joe's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-miller-4a72a595/

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://wastetoenergynow.org/

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 Karin's advice for young professionals in energy

Karin's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-feldman-634b81a/

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?
16:23 Convincing resistant industry customers to adopt the product
22:05 Prioritizing which market opportunities to pursue; finding software developer talent
30:02 Balancing managing both a business and a family
32:05 How Jeremy views the future of the broader energy market; how ESG requirements affect the ability to raise capital
41:14 ComboCurve's biggest challenges
43:49 What concerns Jeremy about the oil & gas industry & his advice for young professionals in the energy industry

Jeremy's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-gottlieb-cfa-cpa-1853352/

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 professionals in energy

Brent's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-r-smith/

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 consent-based siting nuclear waste program
26:50 The mission of Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC), and the company's innovative TRISO fuel
42:07 What strategies have been most effective in gaining stakeholder engagement?
47:44 Mary's perception of just how (un)popular the nuclear industry is
51:27 Mary's advice for young professionals in energy

Mary's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-woollen-7685363b/