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/

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 nuclear energy? 54:04 Ryan's advice for young professionals in energy Ryan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-pickering-80413914/

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 communities 20:49 CNX's strategies to limit emissions; the role of natural gas in producing cleaner energy, and its advantages over other sources 40:04 Why aren't more pipelines being built? 45:58 Nick's advice for young professionals in energy Nick's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-deiuliis/ Nick's Twitter: https://twitter.com/NickDeIuliis Nick's podcast: https://nickdeiuliis.com/podcasts/

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 young professionals in energy Todd's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-brix-518693/

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 research at the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and dealing with recent volatility in the markets 18:22 Moving to Colorado and embracing a balance between energy and the environment 27:02 A primer on geothermal energy & Fervo Energy's role in the space 32:27 Ideal customers/partners for Fervo 38:13 Challenges that the geothermal industry has faced 43:41 Laura's role at Fervo 45:21 Advice for young professionals in energy, and where Laura thinks the industry is going Laura's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurasinger/ Fervo Energy: https://www.fervoenergy.com/ Learn more about Colorado's carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) research: https://www.mines.edu/carboncapture/state-of-colorado-ccus-task-force/

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/kurt-harris/

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 John's advice for young professionals in energy John's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbelizaire/ John's podcast: https://clean-integration.simplecast.com/

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 Revolution on the energy industry 16:28 How does oil & gas play into renewables projects? 19:10 How does Mark respond to oil & gas opponents? 26:39 Is there opportunity in using oil & gas techniques for geothermal? 29:57 How realistic are the zero-carbon targets set for the next few decades? 34:05 Greenwashing in the electric vehicle industry? 40:55 Suggestions for changing the perception of the industry Mark's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhinaman/ Attend the next YPE event! https://ypenergy.org/denver/events/

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 we change regulations to encourage more innovation? 46:11 Paul's advice for young professionals in energy Paul's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-marotta-p-e-phd-bcee-04b05012/ MicroNuclear LLC: https://micronucleartech.com/

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 its downfall 17:42 Starting the long-running Atomic Insights blog, and later a podcast 22:51 Reflecting on the past two decades of the nuclear industry; optimism for political support of nuclear projects 32:43 Transitioning to Nucleation Capital, and finding tech diamonds in the rough 48:24 Rod's advice for young professionals in the energy industry Rod's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atomicrod/ Atomic Insights blog: https://atomicinsights.com/ Nucleation Capital: https://nucleationcapital.com/

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 emissions from transportation; efforts to expand electric vehicle charging across the state 33:07 Programs that offer financing options for upgrading building infrastructure 38:06 How the office deals with legislative policymakers & regulators 50:38 Will large-scale renewables implementation lead to increased electricity prices? 54:52 Dominique's advice for young professionals in energy Dominique's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominiquegomez/

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 benefits of granular carbon accounting 18:36 Why isn't nuclear energy included in the credits? 21:07 How reliable are carbon accounting data? Should we be focusing on reducing energy demand, instead of carbon capture? 31:17 How can crude oil producers be influenced to limit emissions? Ariel's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arielexa/ How It Works - Carbon Capture and Storage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyPI20h9kx0 Attend the next YPE event: https://ypenergy.org/denver/events/month/

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 America company 45:07 Miles's latest R&D projects, including cryogenic carbon capture 55:16 What in the energy industry keeps Miles up at night, and Miles's advice for young professionals in energy Miles's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miles-abarr-a7b32466/

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 career thus far 05:13 The most interesting superfund site Jeff had worked on; Jeff's projects at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Jeff discusses the latest advanced nuclear power projects in work across the country 14:36 The diverse work of the Pillsbury international law firm 17:45 Navigating the NRC's expansive rules and regulations to license a new reactor 27:46 Could small- and micro-reactors be implemented under current regulations? 35:42 Will the new regulatory environment lead to more nuclear innovations? 42:20 Is there an equal playing field for the requirements for each type of power generation? 50:49 Jeff's advice for young professionals in energy Jeff's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-merrifield-7a343426/

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 21:53 Contract structures for power purchase agreements 24:00 What happens to the solar panels after the 20-year contract? 30:39 How to balance transmission distances, land rights, and NIMBY-ism 35:47 Job prospects for U.S. renewables companies; the scale of renewables projects to invest in 41:59 Can we put windmills on top of buildings? Saxon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saxon-mckinven-77095847/ Attend the next YPE event: https://ypenergy.org/denver/events/month/