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

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

NENSC 11 Episodes Jun 30, 2026

Atomically Speaking is the official podcast of the Nuclear Energy and National Security Coalition (NENSC). It brings together leading national security experts to discuss the essential role of nuclear energy in U.S. national security. The podcast features a range of opinions and robust dialogue on topics, trends, and advancements in nuclear energy.

Episodes

ATOMICALLY SPEAKING | The Physics of American Nuclear Leadership: A Conversation with Congressman Bill Foster Jun 30, 2026 2403 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
ATOMICALLY SPEAKING | From Atoms for Peace to the New Nuclear Era: A Conversation with Susan Eisenhower Jun 16, 2026 2322 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
ATOMICALLY SPEAKING | Regulating at Scale & Speed: A Conversation with Ho Nieh, Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission May 21, 2026 2605 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 nuclea
Two Sides of the Coin: A Conversation with Jay Tilden and Chris Ploch, NENSC’s New Leadership Team Apr 28, 2026 2256 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
Powering the Comeback: A Conversation with Bryan Hanson, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Generation Officer at Constellation Apr 24, 2026 1535 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
Fueling the Future: A Conversation with Brad Williams, Senior Policy Advisor at the Idaho National Laboratory Apr 16, 2026 2348 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
A Conversation with Dr. Stephen Streiffer, Director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Apr 9, 2026 2880 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 separa
From Shipyards to Scale: A Conversation with Jake Jurewicz, CEO and Co-Founder of Blue Energy Apr 2, 2026 2056 In this episode of Atomically Speaking, NENSC Co-Chair Daniel Poneman and Jake Jurewicz, CEO and Co-Founder of Blue Energy, sat down during CERAWeek to talk about what led him to co-found Blue Energy and to discuss Blue Energy’s model aimed at accelerating nuclear energy deployment globally.
Advanced Reactor Technology: A Conversation with Dr. John Wagner, Director of the Idaho National Laboratory Mar 26, 2026 2345 In this episode of Atomically Speaking, NENSC Co-Chair Dan Poneman sits down with Dr. John Wagner to discuss the Idaho National Laboratory’s historic role in Advanced Reactor Technology, his perspective on the future direction of modern Advanced Reactor Technology in the United States, and his thoughts on the safety of nuclear applications in the U.S. and other countries around the world.
Fusion Confusion: A Conversation with Dr. Kim Budil, Director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Mar 18, 2026 2761 In this episode, NENSC Co-Chair Dan Poneman and Dr. Kim Budil talk about the path that led her to leading the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, reflections on the history of the lab and its prior leaders, and explore the science of fusion, its potential commercial viability, and the role of NIF and fusion testing in ensuring the safety of the U.S. nuclear stockpile.
A Conversation with Dr. Thom Mason: What Does The “Fourth Age” Of The Nuclear Landscape Have In Store? Feb 12, 2026 3240 In this episode, NENSC Co-chair Daniel Poneman and Dr. Thom Mason, Director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, talk about Dr. Mason’s three decades of experience in the industry, and his leadership of the Laboratory’s national security, science, and mission-delivery portfolio. This active discussion covers prior and recent geopolitical events, the evolution of the nuclear deterrence environme
U.S. – Saudi Nuclear Cooperation: Imperatives for National Security Oct 28, 2025 2534 In this episode, NENSC Co-Chair Dan Poneman convenes two leading experts for a thoughtful conversation regarding ongoing negotiations between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on a “123 agreement,” a civil nuclear cooperation agreement that provides a framework for peaceful nuclear energy cooperation. Participants include Robert Einhorn, a senior fellow in the Arms Control and Non

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