Atomically Speaking, the Nuclear Energy and National Security Coalition's Official Podcast

NENSC
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Politics

The Atomically Speaking podcast, hosted by the Nuclear Energy and National Security Coalition (NENSC), is a forum to bring together leading national security experts who recognize the essential benefits of a strong national nuclear energy enterprise to the continued national security of the United States. Contributors and guests offer a range of opinions and engage in a robust dialogue about topics, trends, and advancements regarding the instrumental role that nuclear energy plays in promoting U.S. national security interests.

  1. 1d ago

    ATOMICALLY SPEAKING | Reliability Is National Security: A Conversation with Deputy Secretary of Energy James P. Danly

    In this episode, NENSC Co-Chair Daniel Poneman sits down with James P. Danly — Deputy Secretary of Energy, former FERC Commissioner, and Army veteran — for a conversation on why a reliable grid is a national security asset and what it will take to rebuild American nuclear capability from the ground up. Danly discusses how DOE is implementing the nuclear executive orders, the role of the Reactor Pilot Program in moving first-of-a-kind reactors from paper to operation, why restoring domestic uranium enrichment matters for everything from commercial markets to naval fuel and the deterrent, and how the United States can become the preferred nuclear partner for countries choosing between American technology and offers from Russia and China. It's a direct look at the fuel cycle, the National Labs, and the concrete results that will tell us America has regained its nuclear leadership.

    ATOMICALLY SPEAKING | Reliability Is National Security: A Conversation with Deputy Secretary of Energy James P. Danly

  2. Jun 30

    ATOMICALLY SPEAKING | The Physics of American Nuclear Leadership: A Conversation with Congressman Bill Foster

    In this episode, NENSC Co-Chair Daniel Poneman sits down with Congressman Bill Foster — particle physicist, former Fermilab scientist, and the only PhD physicist serving in Congress — for a conversation on what technical rigor brings to the biggest questions in nuclear policy. Co-chair of the bipartisan House Advanced Nuclear Caucus, Foster discusses how the politics of nuclear energy have shifted, where the United States can win the global export race against Russia and China, why the national laboratories are a strategic asset worth fully leveraging, and how to think clearly about Iran's nuclear program and the future of the advanced reactor fuel cycle. It's a clear-eyed, science-grounded look at what it will take for America to lead in a new nuclear era.

    ATOMICALLY SPEAKING | The Physics of American Nuclear Leadership: A Conversation with Congressman Bill Foster

  3. Jun 16

    ATOMICALLY SPEAKING | From Atoms for Peace to the New Nuclear Era: A Conversation with Susan Eisenhower

    In this episode, NENSC Co-Chair Daniel Poneman sits down with Susan Eisenhower — national security strategist, acclaimed author of How Ike Led, and granddaughter of President Dwight D. Eisenhower — for a wide-ranging conversation spanning more than seventy years of nuclear history, from her grandfather's landmark Atoms for Peace address to the demands of today's nuclear moment. Drawing on decades advising on nuclear policy, energy, and U.S.–Russia relations, Eisenhower makes the case for nuclear as the 24/7 answer to surging electricity and AI-driven demand, explains why American leadership and global engagement are central to managing proliferation risks, and offers candid lessons on how the industry can finally tell its story to the public. The result is a clear-eyed look at the strategic vision — and the focus — it will take for the United States to lead the new nuclear era.

  4. May 21

    ATOMICALLY SPEAKING | Regulating at Scale & Speed: A Conversation with Ho Nieh, Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

    In this episode, NENSC Co-Chair Daniel Poneman sits down with Ho Nieh — Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission — at a defining moment for the agency and for American nuclear energy. The conversation explores how the NRC is implementing the ADVANCE Act and EO 14300, what a more risk-informed regulatory framework means in practice, and why getting this right will determine whether nuclear can be deployed at scale across America.

  5. Apr 28

    Two Sides of the Coin: A Conversation with Jay Tilden and Chris Ploch, NENSC’s New Leadership Team

    In this episode, NENSC Co-Chair Daniel Poneman sits down with Jay Tilden and Chris Ploch — the Coalition's newly appointed Executive Director and Deputy Director — to explore how DOE's twin missions of national nuclear security and civilian energy must work in concert, why a domestic uranium enrichment capability is both a security and economic imperative, and what listeners can expect from NENSC in the months ahead.

    Two Sides of the Coin: A Conversation with Jay Tilden and Chris Ploch, NENSC’s New Leadership Team

  6. Apr 24

    Powering the Comeback: A Conversation with Bryan Hanson, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Generation Officer at Constellation

    In this episode of Atomically Speaking, NENSC Co-Chair, Daniel Poneman sits down with Bryan Hanson to explore the resurgence of nuclear energy in the United States. From restarting Three Mile Island as the Chris Crane Clean Energy Center to extending reactor lifespans and meeting surging demand from AI and electrification, Mr. Hanson shares an inside look at how the nation’s largest nuclear fleet is navigating a rapidly evolving energy landscape and why nuclear power remains critical to both economic growth and national security.

    Powering the Comeback: A Conversation with Bryan Hanson, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Generation Officer at Constellation

  7. Apr 16

    Fueling the Future: A Conversation with Brad Williams, Senior Policy Advisor at the Idaho National Laboratory

    In this episode of Atomically Speaking, NENSC Co-Chair Daniel Poneman sits down with Brad Williams, Senior Policy Advisor at the Idaho National Laboratory to explore the evolving landscape of nuclear energy in the United States. From rebuilding the nuclear fuel supply chain to advancing bipartisan legislation, they discuss how policy, innovation, and collaboration are shaping a new era of nuclear deployment both at home and globally.

    Fueling the Future: A Conversation with Brad Williams, Senior Policy Advisor at the Idaho National Laboratory

  8. Apr 9

    A Conversation with Dr. Stephen Streiffer, Director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory

    In this episode of Atomically Speaking, NENSC Co-Chair Daniel Poneman sits down with Dr. Stephen Streiffer to discuss the legacy of the Manhattan Project and how it continues to shape the Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s mission today. Dr. Streiffer walks through the history of uranium enrichment and the technologies used over the years, from the gaseous diffusion process and electromagnetic separation to laser isotope separation technologies now being studied for potential commercial energy applications. He also discusses Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s current priorities and the role it plays in supporting the May 2025 White House Executive Orders aimed at restoring U.S. nuclear leadership, including the DOE Genesis Mission — a national initiative to accelerate scientific discovery through the use of artificial intelligence.

    A Conversation with Dr. Stephen Streiffer, Director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory
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About

The Atomically Speaking podcast, hosted by the Nuclear Energy and National Security Coalition (NENSC), is a forum to bring together leading national security experts who recognize the essential benefits of a strong national nuclear energy enterprise to the continued national security of the United States. Contributors and guests offer a range of opinions and engage in a robust dialogue about topics, trends, and advancements regarding the instrumental role that nuclear energy plays in promoting U.S. national security interests.

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