Author: sondra

Beyond the Buzz: How GenAI Is Delivering Real Results in Nuclear and Utility Operations

Posted on by sondra

The rise of Generative AI (GenAI) has changed how the world thinks about automation—but in nuclear and utility operations, the conversation has already shifted to what AI is doing in the field. Across operations, planning, safety, and engineering, GenAI is now part of how real work gets done.

At Nuclearn, we don’t build for hype. We build for the realities of secure, highly regulated environments. Our AI platform is designed specifically for nuclear and utility teams and is deployed in the field, supporting work at over 48 facilities in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.

In this post, we’re breaking down what GenAI is currently doing on the ground, where it’s having a measurable impact, and why success depends on aligning AI with real operational workflows, not theoretical possibilities.

From Concept to Capability

For many organizations, the GenAI conversation started with curiosity. Could it make processes more efficient? Could it help with documentation? Could it reduce repetitive manual work?

Today, those questions are being answered by field teams using Nuclearn.

The most successful sites didn’t ask AI to transform their world overnight. They started with well-defined use cases, aligned their internal teams, and focused on delivering outcomes with clear value and traceability.

Here are the areas where GenAI is already embedded in day-to-day nuclear work.

Current Use Cases for GenAI in Nuclear and Utility Operations

✅ FSAR and Tech Spec Research

Engineers often spend time manually searching across large, version-controlled documents to find design references or validate assumptions. With GenAI, they can enter a natural-language question and receive a detailed response with specific citations from source materials.

Validation Path:

  • Every output is sourced and linked to exact regulatory documentation.

  • All citation paths are transparent for engineering review.

  • Sites control the source data.

✅ Procedure Cross-Referencing

Procedure writers and reviewers use GenAI to identify where one change might impact other connected procedures or protocols. This is especially useful when dealing with cascading effects across systems or plant conditions.

Validation Path:

  • AI flags linked procedures but does not finalize changes.

  • Suggested impacts are provided with excerpts from each document for human review.

  • Peer reviewers use the tool as a checklist enhancer, not a replacement.

✅ Safety Observation Summarization

Frontline staff and supervisors use Nuclearn’s AI to turn field notes and observations into structured summaries. These summaries are then reviewed and integrated into corrective action programs.

Validation Path:

  • The platform does not “decide” root causes—rather, it surfaces consistent language based on previous entries.

  • Users are prompted to review and confirm summaries before submission.

  • All content generated can be traced to original user input.

Why These Use Cases Succeed

One of the reasons Nuclearn’s AI delivers value where others fall short is because our approach is focused on augmentation, not automation. AI isn’t replacing engineers or operators—it’s giving them a faster, more informed starting point.

What makes that possible?

  • Security-First Design: Deployed on-premise or in government-approved environments.

  • Explainable Outputs: All responses are documented with reasoning and source path.

  • Persona-Based Logic: AI behavior adjusts based on whether the user is a procedure writer, planner, or safety engineer.

  • Custom Knowledge Bases: Data belongs to the site, not to a public model or shared server.

We’ve found that success with GenAI depends on three things:

  1. Contextual accuracy

  2. Security integration

  3. Staff involvement in adoption

What Field Teams Are Saying

Across facilities, we’ve heard similar feedback:

  • Engineers want faster access to structured references, not more data dumps.

  • Planners want a second set of eyes on tagging logic, not a black box.

  • Safety teams want cleaner summaries, not templated outputs.

When GenAI is introduced with those needs in mind, it’s quickly seen not as a threat, but as a support system.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Not all AI models are ready for nuclear. Some platforms are built for commercial use or are too generalized to handle regulatory nuances. Here are a few flags that suggest a solution may not be fit for this environment:

  • No citation support: If it doesn’t show its sources, it can’t be trusted.

  • One-size-fits-all logic: Nuclear doesn’t operate like finance or retail, and neither should its AI.

  • Cloud-only deployment: Sites need control over data—public cloud models may not meet that need.

  • No understanding of standards: If it doesn’t align with NQA-1 or 10 CFR principles, it shouldn’t be in your stack.

At Nuclearn, every deployment is supported by onboarding, site-specific configuration, and training aligned to real workflows.

Final Thoughts

GenAI has moved beyond buzzwords in the nuclear sector. It’s in the field, in the workflow, and in the hands of professionals who are validating its value daily.

By focusing on purpose-built design, explainability, and secure deployment, Nuclearn is showing what it looks like to implement GenAI the right way—without shortcuts, compromises, or gimmicks.

This is not future-state talk. This is now.
And it’s only just beginning.

Why New Entrants Validate What We’ve Already Built

Posted on by sondra

The energy industry is experiencing a long-overdue shift—one where AI is no longer a novelty but a necessity. And in the nuclear and utility sectors, we’re beginning to see something we welcome: more vendors entering the space.

It’s a positive sign. The growing interest from startups, enterprise AI labs, and newly formed nuclear-focused technology companies is a clear signal that the market is ready to modernize. Everyone—from operators to regulators—is looking for smarter, faster, and more secure ways to manage highly regulated, high-impact work.

But here’s the truth: not all solutions are created equal.

Some new entrants are offering early-stage beta tools. Others are repackaging general-purpose AI under the banner of “nuclear transformation.” What many still lack is what we’ve spent the last four years building at Nuclearn—deep operational understanding, embedded security architecture, and proven use cases deployed at scale.

Validation of the Mission

We’re not threatened by more players in the space. We welcome them. Every new entrant, every investor conversation, every “nuclear AI” LinkedIn post is validating what we’ve already proven: AI is no longer optional in this industry—it’s essential.

Since 2021, we’ve been supporting real-world operations across 48+ nuclear and utility sites in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. We’ve worked inside secure environments, with live operational data, building tools that move the needle on efficiency, accuracy, and safety.

In other words, we’re not experimenting. We’re executing.

How Nuclearn Sets the Standard

Nuclearn wasn’t adapted for nuclear—it was built for it. Our team of nuclear engineers, planners, and outage veterans knew that generic AI couldn’t meet regulatory, compliance, or cultural requirements. So we designed a platform that could.

Here’s what differentiates Nuclearn in an increasingly noisy space:

  • Field-Proven Deployment: Our tools are actively in use at commercial nuclear sites—not in simulation, not in “pilot purgatory.”
  • Part 810 Compliant: Our system architecture was designed with export control, cyber resilience, and data sovereignty in mind from day one.
  • On-Prem & GovCloud Options: We know what IT, security, and operations teams need—and we offer deployment flexibility to match.
  • Designed for Real Workflows: Procedure updates, FSAR crosswalks, outage readiness, tagging validation, safety documentation—these aren’t buzzwords. They’re everyday challenges we solve.

While others are still preparing for the work, Nuclearn is already helping teams:

  • Cut hours from outage document prep
  • Reduce the review burden on procedure writers
  • Accelerate tagging accuracy during planning
  • Analyze safety observations and generate reports in real-time
  • Our platform doesn’t just talk about nuclear. It speaks fluently.

Why Competition Matters

Yes, we’re leading this category—but we don’t want to be alone in it. Innovation benefits from pressure and perspective. When more companies try to build for this space, we all learn what works, what doesn’t, and what’s required to earn trust in high-stakes environments.

Healthy competition pushes everyone to do better—for customers, for industry standards, and the future of nuclear.

But let’s be clear: this isn’t an industry that has time for AI that “might” work. This is a mission-critical environment. There is no room for hallucinated citations, opaque black boxes, or half-secure integrations.

So while we’re glad the space is growing, we’ll continue focusing on the things that matter most:
Security. Compliance. Trust. And results.

Customers Aren’t Looking for Options—They’re Looking for Outcomes

What we’re hearing in the field is that buyers aren’t overwhelmed—they’re skeptical. Leaders at plants, utilities, and national labs are asking:

  • Is it secure?
  • Is it proven?
  • Does it integrate with our workflow?
  • Can we deploy it without adding risk?

This is where Nuclearn continues to stand apart. Because our answers are:
✅ Yes.
✅ Yes.
✅ Yes.
✅ And yes.

We’ve never been interested in tech for tech’s sake. We’re here to build solutions that reduce friction, reclaim hours, and elevate the work of nuclear professionals.

The Bar Is High—And That’s a Good Thing

We’ve helped raise expectations. And we’re proud of that. Because when we hold ourselves—and our peers—to a higher standard, the entire industry benefits.

We want a world where:

  • AI-powered documentation becomes the norm, not the exception
  • Safety data is reviewed with contextual intelligence
  • Engineers are free to engineer, not just fill out forms

That’s not science fiction. That’s what our users are doing with Nuclearn—right now.

Final Word

The rise of new entrants into the nuclear and utility AI space is exciting. It means this sector is finally getting the innovation attention it deserves.

But we’re not racing to catch up. We’re defining the pace.
We’re already supporting operations, delivering value, and earning the trust of nuclear’s most security-conscious customers.

We’re not the future of nuclear AI.
We’re its present.

The Second Nuclear Renaissance Is Here—Now Let’s Get to Work

Posted on by sondra

The White House’s May 2025 Executive Orders mark the clearest national endorsement of nuclear energy in decades. As CRO of Nuclearn and a longtime nuclear professional, I see this as both validation and a call to action.

The Executive Orders direct immediate action: regulatory modernization, advanced reactor deployment, domestic fuel production, and streamlining of NRC processes. It’s a big win for the industry, but it only matters if we deliver.

To move from intent to impact, we need more than new builds. We need modern systems. The nuclear renaissance must be powered not just by concrete and steel, but by intelligent, secure platforms that enable safer, faster, and more collaborative operations.

That’s exactly what we’ve built at Nuclearn. Our AI-driven platform supports:

  • FSAR and tech spec cross-referencing

  • Automated documentation workflows

  • Safety observation analysis

  • Real-time tagging validation

  • On-prem and compliant deployments

We’re not theorizing. We’re in the field, helping over 48 plants in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. digitize the most critical parts of their operations.

This renaissance is also a global competition. Nations are racing to scale nuclear while proving they can do it safely, affordably, and with workforce agility. The U.S. can lead—but only if it embraces digital infrastructure alongside physical.

Let’s make sure we build this next chapter with tools that are:

  • Built for compliance

  • Proven in practice

  • Designed by nuclear professionals

At Nuclearn, we’re ready. We’re honored to be the platform many are already choosing to help meet the moment.

Let’s lead with confidence, with integrity, and with smarter systems.

Evolving the Brand. Honoring the Mission.

Posted on by sondra

At Nuclearn, we believe that how we show up visually should reflect how we operate technically: with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

That’s why this summer, we’re rolling out a new logo and brand identity that reflects our momentum, growth, and deepening role across the nuclear and utility sectors. This isn’t change for change’s sake. This is evolution with intention.

From our earliest days, we’ve been committed to solving real problems in regulated industries. Our founding team includes nuclear engineers and operational professionals who lived the pain points of documentation, compliance, outage planning, and legacy systems. Nuclearn was built to do what other platforms couldn’t: deliver secure, purpose-built AI designed for the work that matters most.

Today, with over 48 leading nuclear and utility sites using Nuclearn across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., our visual identity is catching up to our impact.

Why We Made the Change

The energy and utility sectors are evolving rapidly. New technology. New policies. New expectations. But too many vendors are still offering generic AI dressed up in industry lingo.

We don’t retrofit. We build specifically for this world.

The updated Nuclearn logo reflects the strength, precision, and intelligence behind our platform. It’s modern and grounded—just like our software. Our updated color palette retains our signature green but with sharper contrast and improved accessibility. And our typography and layout updates signal clarity, security, and purpose.

What Isn’t Changing

While the look is evolving, our mission remains the same:

  • We build secure, compliant AI solutions for regulated industries.

  • We empower engineers, operators, and analysts to spend less time on admin and more time solving problems.

  • We honor the integrity and safety culture of the nuclear industry in every deployment.

We’re still the team that shows up onsite, listens closely, and iterates fast. We’re still offering on-prem and government cloud deployments. We’re still committed to Part 810 compliance, data sovereignty, and customer ownership of information.

What It Means for You

If you’re already a Nuclearn customer, this change will start to show up in your interface, documents, and support materials beginning in July. Your functionality, security, and data remain unchanged.

If you’re exploring Nuclearn, this new look reflects the confidence our clients already have in our products. When they choose Nuclearn, they’re choosing a platform that doesn’t just promise compliance and speed—it delivers both.

Brand Built for a Movement

The nuclear and utility sectors are entering a new era. More investment. More scrutiny. More urgency. This requires not just innovation, but identity.

We believe a brand should express what a company values. For us, that means:

  • Trust through transparency

  • Intelligence through usability

  • Innovation grounded in real-world performance

So while this update may be visual, the reasoning behind it runs deep. We’re preparing for the next decade of growth, and we’re proud to do so with a sharper, stronger identity.

Because when you’re building the future of nuclear, you should look like it.

Iberian Peninsula Blackout: How the April 28, 2025 Outage Unfolded and Lessons for Grid Resilience

Posted on by sondra

Overview of the Iberian Blackout

On April 28, 2025, a massive power outage swept across the Iberian Peninsula, plunging most of Spain and all of Portugal into darkness. The blackout struck suddenly around 12:33 p.m. local time, bringing daily life to a standstill. Planes were grounded, metros halted mid-journey, and hospitals scrambled to switch to backup generators, Reuters.com. Spain’s Interior Ministry declared a national emergency as millions coped without electricity in one of the largest European power failures on record, ecfr.eu. By the next morning, power had been restored to nearly all affected areas, but the outage, one of the biggest in Europe’s history, left serious questions in its wake.orgecfr.eu.

A Cascading Failure: How the Outage Unfolded

Grid operators indicate that this was no ordinary outage, but a cascading failure that unfolded in a matter of seconds. According to Red Eléctrica de España (REE), Spain’s transmission operator, an initial disturbance occurred shortly after 12:30 p.m., akin to the sudden loss of a large power plant. The system’s safeguards kicked in, and the grid almost stabilized – but 1.5 seconds later, a second event struck, overwhelming the system. In those critical few seconds, Spain suffered a loss of 15 GW of generation – about 60% of national demand – in a cascading trip of power sources.. This precipitous drop in supply sent frequencies and voltages plummeting outside safe bounds. European grids are engineered to handle the unexpected loss of a big plant or power line (an “N-1” event), but here multiple failures hit in quick succession. The chain reaction exceeded what European systems are designed to manage, causing the Iberian grid to buckle under the stress.

As the events cascaded, Spain’s grid became electrically isolated from its neighbors. The disturbance apparently began in Spain’s network and rippled outward – REE has pointed to a sudden disconnection from the French grid as the likely trigger, which in turn severed the Iberian Peninsula from continental Europe. Once Spain and Portugal were cut off (“islanded”) together, they had to balance themselves with no outside help. With such a massive generation deficit, the entire Iberian system collapsed into a total blackout. Even parts of southern France and microstates like Andorra experienced brief outages as the shockwaves spread.

In short, the outage unfolded as a rapid domino effect: an initial fault or disruption led to protective shutdowns, which triggered further losses of generation and grid connections in a vicious circle. Power plants and substations tripped offline to protect themselves, but in doing so, they magnified the imbalance. The result was a continent-scale grid fragmentation, with Iberia going dark in an instant.

Probing the Root Causes

In the aftermath, investigators are working to pin down the exact root cause of this unprecedented failure. At this stage, no definitive cause has been confirmed, and officials caution that the analysis will take time. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that all hypotheses remain on the table as experts analyze data from the grid disturbance. However, some early theories have already been ruled out by grid operators. REE stated “preliminarily” that no cyberattack, human error, or extreme weather phenomenon was to blame for the blackout. This aligns with reports that weather conditions were fair at the time, and so far, there’s no evidence of malicious activity in control systems.

Notably, a rather exotic explanation made headlines initially: a “rare atmospheric phenomenon” called induced atmospheric vibration was cited in some media reports as a possible trigger (carbonbrief.org). This theory suggested that sudden temperature changes in the upper atmosphere caused oscillations in high-voltage lines, disrupting the grid’s synchronization. However, the Portuguese grid operator REN quickly clarified that this was misattributed to them and is not a commonly recognized cause of blackouts, carbonbrief.org. Experts have also expressed skepticism – such dramatic weather-induced oscillations are extremely rare, and conditions in Spain were calm that day. While the concept of atmospheric waves affecting power lines isn’t entirely implausible, it remains an unconfirmed hypothesis and is likely not the main culprit.

What, then, do investigators suspect? Attention has focused on the electrical link between Spain and France, a critical interconnection that was undergoing maintenance on one circuit and carrying unusually high flows on the remaining lines. A fault or overload on this interconnector could have caused it to trip offline – essentially cutting Iberia off from the rest of Europe in an instant. REE indicated that a failure at the French connection precipitated the knock-on effects that led to the collapse. If the tie-line to France went down while Spain was exporting or importing large amounts of power, the sudden imbalance would cause the frequency to swing violently. With only a few gigawatts of interconnection capacity, Iberia is almost an “electrical island” under such conditions. That Monday, Spain may have been exporting energy (thanks to strong midday renewables generation), meaning the loss of the French link abruptly left a surplus of power with nowhere to go, followed by an even larger deficit as generators tripped – a one-two punch for stability.

Grid experts also observed unusual frequency oscillations across Europe just before the blackout, suggesting a continent-wide resonance might have been developing. The fact that fluctuations were recorded as far away as Latvia in the same moments hints at a complex inter-area disturbance in the synchronous European grid. This raises the possibility that the Iberian event was not entirely isolated, but related to broader oscillatory behavior on the European network carbonbrief.org. Investigators from the European Network of Transmission System Operators (ENTSO-E) are surely examining whether a far-reaching oscillation or control malfunction precipitated the Iberian collapse.

In summary, the root cause appears to be a confluence of factors: a critical interconnector trip, rapid cascading failures in generation and load, and the inherent vulnerabilities of a modern grid running with razor-thin margins for error. It was the speed and scale of the collapse that stunned grid operators – an event beyond worst-case designs. As Eduardo Prieto of REE noted, “the extent of the loss of power was beyond what European systems are designed to handle,” Reuters.com. This has prompted urgent reflection on how to bolster the grid against such extreme events.

Renewables Integration and Grid Stability

Iberia’s blackout has also spurred debate about the role of renewable energy in grid stability. Spain and Portugal have rapidly expanded solar and wind generation in recent years as part of the clean energy transition. Just days before the outage, Spain’s grid ran 100% on renewables for the first time (on April 16) – a point noted by many observers (carbonbrief.org). At the time of the blackout (late morning on April 28), solar farms were producing a significant share of electricity, supplemented by wind and hydro, while conventional plants (gas, coal) were at lower output. This means the grid was relying heavily on inverter-based resources (solar panels and wind turbines) at that moment.

Importantly, a power system dominated by renewables behaves differently than one anchored by large fossil or nuclear plants. One key challenge is lower inertia. Traditional power plants with big spinning turbines (like coal, gas, and nuclear units) naturally resist frequency swings, acting as a stabilizing ballast. Most renewables, by contrast, connect via power electronics and don’t inherently provide that rotational inertia. During the Iberian event, system inertia was likely on the low side – it was a sunny midday with high renewable output and some transmission elements out of service. As a result, when the disturbance hit, the grid’s frequency plummeted faster than protective systems could respond. As one engineer put it, today’s grid frequency “plunges more quickly than protections can act” in a high-renewables scenario when a big disruption occurs. In other words, low inertia contributed to the speed and severity of the cascade.

It’s critical to note that renewables themselves did not cause the blackout, but the incident does highlight the integration challenges of a cleaner grid. Some commentators were quick to blame renewables or climate policies, but experts have pushed back on that narrative. The system had operated with a similar renewables mix on other days without incident; a specific technical fault set off this chain reaction, not simply the presence of solar farms. However, the high renewables share likely influenced how the event unfolded, by reducing the available inertia and perhaps by the behavior of inverter controls during the frequency swings. Grid operators have implemented grid code requirements for wind and solar plants to ride through disturbances and even provide synthetic inertia (mimicking the stabilizing effect of turbines. But despite these measures, a fast, large upset can still be hard to arrest in a system with many inverter-based resources. The blackout is a stark reminder that as we transition to cleaner energy, grid stability measures must evolve in parallel.

In Spain’s case, the renewable energy transition is well underway – renewables supplied 56% of the country’s electricity in 2024 on an annual basis. This is a fantastic achievement for sustainability, yet it stresses a grid built decades ago around conventional generation. Much of Europe’s transmission infrastructure (transformers, lines, safeguards) is aging – about 40% of the EU’s grid is over 40 years old ecfr.eu. Upgrading this hardware and the associated software controls is vital to accommodate a more variable, decentralized supply mix. The Iberian blackout exposed these growing pains: an advanced grid that needs a new toolkit to handle the dynamics of the 21st-century energy mix. Solutions like energy storage, faster-reacting reserve power, and grid-forming inverter technology can help renewables-rich grids self-stabilize after shocks. Spain has considerable hydropower and some battery projects that can offer quick-balancing capabilities, but on April 28, the disturbance was too great for the existing safeguards to contain.

Insights from Experts on Preventing Future Blackouts

The scope of the Iberian outage has prompted power system experts worldwide to scrutinize what happened and how to prevent a repeat. On May 6, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) convened a special webinar analyzing the event. In this session, Daniel Brooks (EPRI’s Senior VP for Energy Delivery and Customer Solutions), along with grid specialists Sean McGuinness and Eamonn Lannoye, discussed initial findings and lessons for grid resiliency. They placed the Iberian blackout in context, noting that cascading outages, while rare, are not unheard of, and we can learn from past incidents. (For instance, a 2021 European grid disturbance also originated on the Spanish-French border, though its impacts were contained.)

Early insights from the EPRI analysis underline several resilience lessons:

  • Strengthen Grid Infrastructure: Europe must modernize and expand its transmission networks, especially cross-border interconnectors. In an integrated grid, robust interconnections act as shock absorbers, allowing neighboring regions to share support during a crisis. Currently, bottlenecks in inter-country links can hinder rapid support, as seen when Iberia’s tie-line to France failed, leaving no path for aid. Improving and adding interconnectors (e.g., between Spain and France) would make it easier to contain disturbances by spreading out the impact ecfr.eu. In short, a more connected grid is a more resilient grid, provided those links are reliable.

  • Deploy Advanced Stabilization Technologies: With renewable penetration rising, grid operators need new tools to maintain balance and frequency stability. One priority is investing in energy storage and fast-ramping resources. Grid-scale batteries, pumped hydro storage, and emerging solutions like hydrogen energy storage can act as buffers – absorbing excess energy or injecting power on a split-second notice ecfr.eu. These resources provide a kind of insurance, helping to arrest frequency drops or fill sudden supply gaps. Additionally, “grid-forming” inverter technology in wind and solar farms can allow renewables to emulate many of the grid-supporting characteristics of traditional plants (providing virtual inertia and voltage support). Enhancing inertial response – whether through synchronous condensers, advanced inverters, or simply keeping some conventional units online – is critical so that future grids can ride through shocks without cascading.

  • Improve System Monitoring and Coordination: The Iberian event highlighted how quickly a local fault can escalate in a complex network. Better real-time awareness and automated controls are essential. Experts recommend accelerating the adoption of smart grids and AI-based forecasting/controls to give grid operators a clearer picture of grid stress in real time ecfr.eu. For example, wide-area monitoring systems can detect abnormal frequency oscillations and trigger corrective actions (like controlled load shedding or re-dispatching generation) before the situation becomes unrecoverable. Digitalization of the grid – including smart meters, sensors, and predictive analytics – will enable a faster and more precise response to anomalies, whether caused by equipment failure, weather extremes, or cyber threats ecfr.eu. In the Iberian case, automated defense schemes did activate (such as under-frequency load shedding that cut power to some customers to rebalance frequency), but future systems may need to act even quicker and more intelligently across regions.

  • Plan for Extreme “N-k” Contingencies: Grid planning criteria may need revision in light of this event. Traditionally, systems are designed to withstand the loss of any single element (N-1). Operators are now considering how to prepare for multiple simultaneous failures (N-2 or N-k scenarios) that, while very unlikely, can have catastrophic impacts. This could mean building in more redundancy, adjusting protection settings to be less “all-or-nothing,” and conducting regular stress tests of the grid’s response to extreme events. EPRI’s experts emphasized that resilience isn’t just about preventing outages, but limiting their scope and duration. Indeed, the fact that Iberia was blacked out for only ~15 hours owes to effective restoration planning, including black-start capabilities and cross-border assistance once systems were ready to reconnect. Continuous improvement in restoration strategies (like sectionalizing the grid and restarting in phases) is another lesson to carry forward.

Ultimately, the consensus from the webinar and other expert analyses is that the Iberian blackout was a wake-up call. It underscores the need to invest in a more resilient grid to support the clean energy transition ecfr.euecfr.eu. Europe, and the world, must shore up grid reliability even as we welcome more renewable power. As EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson summarized after the event, “our electricity systems need to be prepared for a new reality – this cannot be reduced to a specific source of energy”carbonbrief.org. In other words, rather than pointing fingers at renewables, the focus should be on building a stronger system that can handle the new energy landscape.

Dependable Baseload: Nuclear’s Stabilizing Role

One critical element of grid resilience is maintaining a balanced mix of energy sources, including stable baseload generators. In this context, nuclear power provides unique advantages for grid stability. Spain’s nuclear fleet – 7 reactors totaling about 7 GW – supplied roughly 19% of the country’s electricity in 2024, making nuclear the second-largest generation source after wind power. These nuclear plants operate at steady output and are not affected by daily weather or seasonal variability. During periods of grid stress, a running nuclear unit is a rock of stability: its output doesn’t suddenly drop due to a lack of sun or wind, and it typically isn’t tripped off by minor disturbances. Nuclear reactors also come with large spinning turbo-generators, which inherently contribute strong rotational inertia and voltage support to the grid. In essence, they act like giant gyroscopes, damping rapid frequency changes and helping to keep the voltage steady.

Had there been more baseload units online in Iberia at the time of the April 28 event, the initial frequency dip might have been less severe, potentially giving grid protections more time to react. (For instance, France’s grid, which has a high share of nuclear, has historically seen fewer large frequency deviations, partly thanks to the inertia of its nuclear fleet.) Of course, nuclear plants are not very flexible in ramping output quickly, so they cannot single-handedly cover a sudden shortfall. But their presence means the grid has a reliable floor of generation that can anchor the system. During the Iberian blackout, once the grid collapsed, all generators – including nuclear stations – had to shut down for safety. However, nuclear stations are designed with robust safety systems to handle grid loss and can assist in recovery once the grid is stable enough to accept power. Their value is most felt in preventing outages to begin with: by reducing reliance on intermittent imports and weather-driven sources, nuclear energy can mitigate the risk factors that lead to crises.

Moreover, nuclear plants often have long refueling cycles and high availability rates, meaning they’re online and providing power the vast majority of the time. This high reliability complements renewables: when the wind isn’t blowing or the sun isn’t shining, nuclear is there to carry the load steadily. In a scenario like Iberia’s, if some other plants or interconnectors go down unexpectedly, having sufficient nuclear (and other firm generation) capacity online creates a buffer that the grid can lean on. It’s telling that even as Spain pushes toward 100% renewable electricity, there is a growing appreciation that eliminating firm, inertia-rich sources could pose reliability challenges carbonbrief.org. A diversified mix, with nuclear as a key component, offers a hedge against blackouts.

Nuclearn’s Mission for a Resilient Energy Future

At Nuclearn, our mission is to ensure that nuclear power can play its fullest role in a resilient, clean energy grid. We support nuclear operators by providing advanced analytics and operational efficiency tools that help keep reactors running safely, flexibly, and cost-effectively. In light of events like the Iberian blackout, Nuclearn’s work is more relevant than ever. Our technology solutions empower plant operators with real-time insights into equipment performance, grid conditions, and predictive maintenance needs.

In conclusion, the April 28 Iberian blackout offers important lessons for all of us in the energy industry. It highlighted both the vulnerabilities of a changing power system and the incredible resilience of operators who restored an entire nation’s power in hours. At Nuclearn, we approach these challenges with a spirit of optimism and innovation. We are confident that with smart planning, technology, and a balanced mix that includes dependable nuclear energy, the grid of the future will be cleaner and stronger. Our commitment is to help make that future a reality, working hand-in-hand with the nuclear community to bolster grid reliability and prevent outages – so that events like the Iberian blackout remain exceedingly rare.

Citations:

  • Emma Pinedo et al., “Power begins to return after huge outage hits Spain and Portugal,” Reuters, April 29, 2025. reuters.comreuters.comreuters.comreuters.com

  • Carbon Brief (Molly Lempriere et al.), “Q&A: What we do – and do not – know about the blackout in Spain and Portugal,” April 30, 2025. carbonbrief.orgcarbonbrief.orgcarbonbrief.orgcarbonbrief.orgcarbonbrief.org

  • Science Media Centre, expert comments by Prof. Jianzhong Wu, Prof. Keith Bell, et al., “Expert reaction to power outages across Spain and Portugal,” April 28, 2025. sciencemediacentre.org

  • EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute), “EPRI Webcast of Initial Findings from April 28, 2025 Iberia Blackout” – LinkedIn post by EPRI, May 6, 2025. linkedin.comlinkedin.com

  • James Cupps, “Technical Analysis of Spain’s Power Grid and the April 28, 2025 Outage,” LinkedIn, May 2025. linkedin.comlinkedin.comlinkedin.comlinkedin.comlinkedin.com

  • Euronews, Aleksandar Brezar & Clea Skopeliti, “Spain, Portugal and parts of France hit by massive power outage,” April 28, 2025. euronews.com

  • Szymon Kardaś, “Lights out: Why Iberia’s power cut is a warning for EU energy security,” ECFR Policy Alert, May 7, 2025. ecfr.euecfr.euecfr.euecfr.euecfr.eu

  • VigoHoy (Spanish news site), “¿Cómo es posible que se haya caído la luz en toda España?” (in Spanish), April 28, 2025 – quoted in LinkedIn analysis.

Powering What’s Next: Utah’s Nuclear Hub Initiative and What It Means for the Future of Energy

Posted on by sondra

On April 28, 2025, Utah took a bold and thoughtful step toward becoming a national leader in advanced nuclear energy. With a newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the State of Utah and Idaho National Laboratory (INL), the state signaled its intent to deepen its role in research, development, and workforce advancement for next-generation nuclear technologies.

At Nuclearn, we are watching these initiatives closely and fully support what Utah, INL, and other regional stakeholders are building. Their work represents exactly the kind of forward-thinking, cross-sector collaboration the nuclear industry needs to thrive.

From our seat, this is more than a regional success story. It’s a blueprint for how U.S. states and national labs can help shape the resilient, secure energy infrastructure of tomorrow, with nuclear at its core.

Utah’s Vision: A Hub for Nuclear Innovation

The MOU, as covered by Utah News Dispatch, outlines a shared commitment to strengthening Utah’s nuclear capabilities through research, workforce training, and support for clean energy innovation. Central to this vision is the proposed Advanced Nuclear and Energy Institute—a collaborative platform that will engage the Utah System of Higher Education, the Utah Office of Energy Development, and the San Rafael Energy Research Center in Emery County.

This isn’t just a win for Utah. It’s a win for all of us working in nuclear. It reinforces that the future of clean, reliable energy depends on smart infrastructure, smart partnerships, and smarter tools to support nuclear professionals doing the hard work on the ground.

At Nuclearn, that’s where we come in.

We Support the Teams Powering Progress

While we’re not part of the Utah-INL agreement, our mission directly supports the kinds of work it will enable. Nuclearn was built by nuclear engineers—for nuclear engineers—with a clear purpose: to eliminate the inefficiencies and information silos that slow down the industry and create friction between teams.

We develop AI-powered software and analytics tools that help nuclear professionals work smarter, safer, and more effectively. Whether you’re optimizing outage schedules, managing corrective action programs, or generating reports for regulators, Nuclearn products are designed to meet you where you are—and support the systems that already work.

If Utah becomes a proving ground for emerging SMRs or advanced fuel cycles, those teams will need secure, fast, and traceable ways to manage their operations. That’s what Nuclearn delivers.

Why Initiatives Like Utah’s Matter

As Utah Governor Spencer Cox noted in the official announcement, this effort is about preparing for a future where nuclear energy helps meet both environmental and economic goals. And they’re not doing it alone. Idaho and Wyoming—two states with their own deep nuclear roots—are watching and advising, and INL’s involvement ensures that this initiative isn’t just regional, but part of a national dialogue on nuclear innovation.

From our perspective, initiatives like these matter because they reinforce three truths:

  1. The energy transition needs nuclear
    As grids become more complex and renewables grow, baseload power from reliable nuclear sources will remain critical. Utah’s planning recognizes this and is building the institutional framework to support that future.
  2. The nuclear workforce needs investment
    A large share of today’s nuclear professionals are nearing retirement. Building a new generation of skilled engineers, operators, analysts, and technicians is non-negotiable. Utah’s inclusion of the higher education system is the right move.
  3. The industry needs a scalable digital infrastructure
    As new nuclear projects grow in complexity—particularly SMRs and microreactors, so too will the need for clean, auditable data pipelines and streamlined workflows. That’s where Nuclearn’s work becomes essential.

Building the Tools to Support a Nuclear Future

We’ve built Nuclearn with one goal in mind: to make the everyday tasks of nuclear professionals faster, easier, and more secure. That includes everything from automating repetitive documentation, to managing corrective actions to enabling outage teams to coordinate better across disciplines.

If Utah’s nuclear hub becomes a home for advanced reactor development, pilot deployments, or next-gen fuels testing, it’s the kind of environment where tools like ours can support meaningful progress.

And importantly, our platforms are Part 810-compliant, on-premise deployable, and purpose-built for high-security environments like national labs and regulated utilities. That’s why our products are already in use by some of the most security-conscious teams in the energy sector.

A Future We All Own

The work ahead in nuclear will take everyone—labs, utilities, state governments, federal agencies, startups, operators, and engineers. What Utah and INL are doing is setting the tone for what local-state-national collaboration in nuclear innovation can look like. And while Nuclearn isn’t at the table in this MOU, we’re certainly building the digital tools and knowledge support to help every team involved work more efficiently.

We’re cheering for their success, not just because it’s good for Utah, but because it’s good for the future of nuclear.

Final Thoughts: Progress We Believe In

The world is watching what comes next in nuclear. The demand is there. The urgency is there. And with projects like this taking root in places like Utah, the momentum is building.

At Nuclearn, we support this effort wholeheartedly. Our focus remains on enabling the engineers and decision-makers to leverage AI-powered tools for their projects.

We’re not just building software. We’re helping build the future of nuclear—one decision, one task, one outage at a time.

Let’s keep going.

The Risk of Unvalidated Research: Why AtomAssist Is Built for the Work That Matters Most

Posted on by sondra

When it comes to nuclear, energy, and environmental work—there’s no room for guesswork.

In today’s fast-paced professional world, where timelines are short and the information we rely on must be accurate, many teams are turning to artificial intelligence to support research and reporting. But in industries where compliance, safety, and regulatory integrity are non-negotiable, the source of that information matters just as much—if not more—than the speed of the answer.

That’s where AtomAssist comes in.

Designed for engineers, field professionals, analysts, and managers in highly regulated fields like nuclear and utilities, AtomAssist was created to solve a specific problem: helping users access, understand, and trust their own documents and data—faster and more reliably than ever before.

A First-Hand Use Case from Deep Fission

During a recent session, Ingrid Nordby of Deep Fission walked through how she used AtomAssist to navigate a complex research task focused on groundwater contamination and borehole data—critical components in environmental and nuclear facility assessments.

“I was particularly interested in groundwater contamination test results,” Ingrid shared. “I had a collection of scientific articles, reports, and field data, and I uploaded everything into AtomAssist to see how it could help.”

Once the materials were in the system, Ingrid asked AtomAssist to generate summaries, extract specific insights, and even build a clear, technical narrative. The results were impressive.

“It returned exactly what I uploaded—only now it was organized and explained in a way I could use in a report,” she said. “It saved me hours of work.”

Built for Validation

What sets AtomAssist apart is its commitment to validation. In high-risk sectors, an answer is only as good as its proof—and AtomAssist ensures every output is traceable back to original, verified source documents.

Ingrid explained how easy it was to confirm where the information was coming from:
“I clicked on the ‘Sources’ tab, and it gave me all the validation information I needed. I knew the data it was referencing was the exact documentation I had uploaded.”

This level of traceability gives teams peace of mind. When regulators or internal stakeholders ask, “Where did this come from?”—the answer is a click away.

From Raw Data to Ready-to-Use Narratives

AtomAssist doesn’t just analyze documents—it helps translate them into usable content. Ingrid was able to pull results from multiple uploaded files and ask AtomAssist to build a narrative that aligned with her technical goals.

“I wasn’t just looking for information,” she said. “I wanted information I could use right away—and that’s what AtomAssist gave me.”

The narrative tools also allow for follow-up questions, refinements, and targeted insights—so if you need a version for a technical appendix, a stakeholder update, or a management summary, the system can help build each from the same core data.

Creating Reusable Knowledge Sets

In regulated industries, the same data often needs to be used across teams and departments. One of the most powerful features Ingrid used was the ability to write extracted insights into new datasets within the AtomAssist platform.

With help from the Nuclearn team, she learned how to consolidate all validated source references into a structured dataset that could be referenced again and again.

“Now I’m thinking about how to create a single-source document that my whole team can use,” Ingrid said. “Once the content is verified and structured, AtomAssist makes it easy to pull from that data in the future.”

This capability supports knowledge retention, reduces rework, and keeps everyone aligned on the same version of the truth—without the chaos of emails, folders, or uncontrolled edits.

Precision Is a Requirement, Not a Bonus

For professionals in nuclear, utilities, safety, and compliance, documentation isn’t a suggestion—it’s a system of record. Misinformation, outdated reports, or vague sourcing can have consequences ranging from delayed operations to regulatory penalties.

That’s why AtomAssist was built with precision and trust at its core. Every analysis, summary, or insight provided by the platform is grounded in what’s already approved by your organization.

It’s not searching a public database. It’s not scanning the internet. It’s referencing only the material you’ve given it—the material that meets your compliance requirements, your safety standards, and your internal review processes.

This difference is what makes AtomAssist not just useful, but essential in high-stakes environments.

Security and Compliance by Design

AtomAssist is built for deployment in secure environments. It meets the demands of on-premise requirements, data confidentiality, and Part 810 compliance.

Whether you’re a nuclear site manager, a corrective action program lead, or an engineer managing records for regulatory filings, AtomAssist respects the boundaries and expectations of your industry.

And it doesn’t require users to learn a new interface or scripting language. It works where you work—using your documents, your taxonomy, and your subject matter.

Reducing Risk and Enhancing Productivity

Ingrid’s experience underscores what so many professionals in complex industries already know: you don’t have time to double-check everything manually—but you can’t afford to get it wrong.

AtomAssist eliminates the guesswork. It enables you to pull trusted data from your own source library, validate it instantly, and build what you need with confidence.

From policies and procedures to test reports and technical briefs, AtomAssist can support:

  • Engineering & Maintenance Documentation
  • Licensing and Environmental Reports
  • Root Cause & Corrective Action Narratives
  • Outage Preparation Materials
  • Executive Summaries & Stakeholder Briefings

All while ensuring your work is based on real, validated information—not approximations.

Looking Forward: A Smarter Way to Work

What Ingrid found in AtomAssist wasn’t just an AI system. It was a work partner. One that respects the technical rigor of her field, the pressure of her deadlines, and the importance of making sure every claim is backed up.

As she put it:

“AtomAssist helped me get to what I needed faster. But more importantly, it helped me trust the process. Everything I used had validation behind it.”

For teams working in regulated industries, that level of trust is priceless.

The Bottom Line

In critical sectors, research isn’t just about finding information—it’s about defending it. Every decision, every report, and every stakeholder update must stand up to scrutiny.

That’s what AtomAssist is built for. It empowers professionals to do their best work, backed by the sources they already trust. It’s secure, compliant, and ready to be deployed in the toughest documentation environments.

So, the next time you’re preparing a report, chasing down test results, or building a summary for executive review, remember:

With AtomAssist, you’re not just answering questions. You’re building with certainty.

Texas Takes the Lead: Highlights from Texas Nuclear Legislative Day 2025

Posted on by sondra

On April 10, 2025, the steps of the Texas State Capitol weren’t just a backdrop for political speeches—they became the frontlines of a movement. Texas Nuclear Legislative Day, hosted by the Texas Nuclear Alliance (TNA), brought together energy advocates, industry leaders, and state policymakers with one unified mission: to make Texas the leader of the American nuclear renaissance.

The gathering was more than symbolic. It marked a turning point in how Texas envisions its energy future—and underscored that nuclear energy is no longer just part of the conversation. It is the conversation.

A Bold Vision at a Critical Time

Texas Nuclear Legislative Day came at a moment when energy priorities across the state and nation are shifting rapidly. With rising electricity demands, increasing concern over grid reliability, and global pressure to decarbonize, Texas—long known for oil and gas—is setting its sights on nuclear.

Governor Greg Abbott’s recent directive to the Legislature made it clear: nuclear power should be central to the state’s long-term energy strategy. The enthusiastic response from the Capitol last week shows that lawmakers, industry professionals, and citizens alike are embracing this future.

“The robust participation from nuclear industry employees and supporters, coupled with the warm reception we received from members of the Texas Legislature, highlight nuclear’s rising prominence and undeniable potential in shaping Texas’ energy landscape,” said Reed Clay, President of the Texas Nuclear Alliance.

Legislative Support for a Nuclear Future

Throughout the day, TNA members and supporters met directly with legislators to champion a series of pro-nuclear bills aimed at jumpstarting a new era of nuclear innovation. These included:

  • HB 14 & HB 279 – Laying the regulatory and funding groundwork for advanced nuclear projects

  • SB 388, SB 1061, SB 1534, SB 1535, SB 2060, and SB 2967 – Addressing a range of supportive measures, from licensing to research collaboration

  • HB 500 – Establishing a Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Fund to attract capital and accelerate deployment

These proposals are more than political gestures—they’re tools to transform Texas into a center of nuclear excellence. If passed, they will unlock funding for next-generation reactors, incentivize public-private partnerships, and signal to global investors that Texas is serious about leading the nuclear renaissance.

Why Nuclear—and Why Now?

Attendees at Texas Nuclear Legislative Day didn’t just advocate for technology—they told a broader story. One of opportunity, urgency, and responsibility.

Nuclear energy offers reliability in a way no other clean energy source can. It provides high-capacity, zero-carbon baseload power while requiring far less land than solar or wind. As extreme weather, rising demand, and industrial growth strain the grid, advanced nuclear is positioned to be the solution that meets Texas’s ambitious goals for economic strength and energy independence.

What’s Next?

The conversations in Austin were just the beginning. With legislation advancing and public interest growing, Texas is poised to become a national model for what’s possible when innovation, policy, and industry work hand-in-hand.

At Nuclearn, we’re proud to support the companies, coalitions, and communities working to shape the future of nuclear. From advanced AI integration to safer, more efficient plant operations, we’re helping utilities and policymakers realize the full promise of nuclear in the 21st century.

The future is already taking shape in Texas—and it’s powered by nuclear.

Reimagining the Future of Energy: Liz Muller’s Bold Blueprint for Nuclear Innovation

Posted on by sondra

In a world increasingly defined by bold ideas and urgent action, few leaders stand out like Liz Muller. As the featured guest on the latest episode of The Future of Nuclear podcast, Liz brings her vision, conviction, and action-first mindset to a conversation that’s as inspiring as it is important.

Muller, the CEO and Co-Founder of Deep Fission, isn’t following in anyone’s footsteps—she’s carving a new path entirely. With a unique background in mathematics, mechanics, and global policy—not reactor physics or traditional nuclear operations—Liz approaches energy challenges with an outsider’s clarity and a changemaker’s urgency. And the results speak for themselves.

From launching Deep Isolation, a venture that transformed the global conversation around nuclear waste disposal, to now heading Deep Fission—a company working to install small modular nuclear reactors a mile underground—Liz’s work is reshaping what’s possible in clean energy. Her story isn’t just about technological disruption. It’s about leadership, courage, and a refusal to accept the status quo.

From Policy Circles to Deep Boreholes

Liz’s journey into nuclear energy began not in a lab, but in the world of climate policy. While working with the OECD, she quickly recognized that many global sustainability goals would remain out of reach without a meaningful shift in how the world produces and stores energy.

So, she did what true innovators do: she created a solution.

That solution was Deep Isolation—a company that applies oil and gas drilling technologies to isolate nuclear waste in deep boreholes. It was an elegant answer to a longstanding problem, and one that propelled Liz into the spotlight as a disruptor in the nuclear space.

But she didn’t stop there.

With Deep Fission, Liz is now pushing the boundary even further. The company’s groundbreaking concept of deploying 15 MW reactors a mile underground removes many of the safety, regulatory, and financial barriers that have historically slowed nuclear energy expansion.

As she explains in the podcast, “We’re not just reducing cost—we’re changing the paradigm.”

The Power of Underground Thinking

What makes Deep Fission so compelling is the simplicity of its logic and the elegance of its engineering.

Instead of building massive above-ground facilities that take a decade or more to complete, Deep Fission is leveraging the natural containment and pressure of underground environments to house reactors. The model offers a host of benefits: enhanced safety, reduced surface footprint, faster permitting, and significantly lower capital investment.

But beyond the technical aspects, Liz’s vision represents something bigger—a reimagination of how we deliver power in a rapidly changing world. She sees a future where nuclear energy isn’t just safe and reliable—it’s nimble, scalable, and ready to meet the needs of both developed and developing nations.

Empowering Teams with AI and Purpose

Throughout her conversation with host Phil Zeringue, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Nuclearn, Liz talks not only about the “what” of her work, but the “how.” And that “how” centers around culture.

Her approach to building high-performing teams is grounded in two core values: innovation and empowerment. Liz surrounds herself with what Phil calls “A-players”—people who are deeply mission-driven and unafraid to challenge old assumptions. And in Liz’s world, AI is more than a buzzword; it’s embedded into every layer of the organization.

“We’ve made AI part of how we work and how we think,” Liz says. With a Chief AI Officer on the leadership team and a commitment to AI-native design thinking, Deep Fission is moving faster and more intelligently than many of its peers.

It’s this intersection of talent, tech, and tenacity that makes Deep Fission one of the most promising ventures in the energy sector today.

Leading with Authenticity—and Humor

Despite tackling some of the world’s toughest challenges, Liz brings humor and humility to the table. She jokes about having the “deepest” conversations in nuclear, makes light of AI-generated bios that list her as a rock collector with samples from every continent, and laughs off hallucinations that claim she’s a TED Talk regular.

But beneath the levity is a deeply serious commitment to solving real problems. “If you’re going to be responsible, you need to have a solution for the waste. If you want nuclear to scale, you have to solve the cost issue. These aren’t optional,” she says.

This blend of accessibility and accountability makes Liz not only a compelling founder but also a leader other leaders want to follow.

A Call to Action for the Next Generation

As the interview draws to a close, Liz delivers what may be the most important message of all: an invitation to build.

“There’s so much that can still be done,” she says. “If you’re driven, if you’re passionate, come build with us.”

It’s a powerful call—not just to engineers and scientists, but to regulators, policymakers, students, and climate advocates. In Liz’s world, everyone has a role to play. The only thing not allowed is sitting on the sidelines.

The Nuclearn Perspective

At Nuclearn, we’re proud to highlight leaders like Liz Muller—people who aren’t just talking about the future of energy, but creating it. The future of nuclear power depends on bold thinkers and action-oriented entrepreneurs, and Liz exemplifies both.

She’s proving that nuclear can be faster, safer, and smarter. That AI can be part of the solution. And that with the right leadership, even the most entrenched systems can evolve.

If you care about energy, innovation, or simply want to be inspired by what’s possible when smart people tackle hard problems, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

🎧 Ready to hear more?
Visit nuclearn.ai and check out The Future of Nuclear podcast featuring Liz Muller.
Listen for yourself—and discover how the future of clean energy is being built, one borehole at a time.

Shaping the Future of Nuclear: Lisa Marshall’s Global Impact Begins in the Classroom

Posted on by sondra

In the rapidly evolving world of nuclear energy, innovation isn’t only found in labs and reactor design—it’s also found in classrooms, campus labs, and summer programs that empower the next generation. Few people understand this better than Lisa Marshall.

As the President of the American Nuclear Society and Director of Outreach, Retention, and Engagement at North Carolina State University’s Department of Nuclear Engineering, Lisa Marshall is leading a movement to transform how we educate, inspire, and retain nuclear talent. In the latest episode of The Future of Nuclear podcast, Lisa joined host Phil Zeringue for a conversation that was equal parts insight, empathy, and vision.

Her message was clear: a sustainable future for nuclear energy begins by nurturing curiosity, building community, and creating environments where every student can thrive.

From Geography to Nuclear: A Path Fueled by Purpose

Lisa’s own journey into nuclear wasn’t linear. With an academic background in geography—a discipline focused on the relationship between people, space, and technology—Lisa didn’t come from a traditional engineering pipeline. Instead, it was a single class that combined technical insight with societal relevance that first lit the spark for her nuclear interest.

That spark became a calling.

When she arrived at NC State, she wasn’t hired for her nuclear expertise. She was hired for her ability to advise, build programs, and create community. What followed was two decades of transformational leadership in nuclear education—leadership that emphasized inclusion, mentorship, and mission-driven learning.

“I always ask myself: how do I create an environment for students to thrive?” Lisa says. “It’s not just about curriculum—it’s about building confidence, allowing failure, and showing them that they belong.”

Building the Pipeline—And the Ecosystem Around It

One of Lisa’s most powerful contributions is her holistic view of education. To her, it’s not just about getting more students into nuclear engineering programs—it’s about building what she calls an “ecosystem of engagement” that starts well before college and continues long after graduation.

“We lose kids in middle school, even earlier,” she explains. “They don’t see themselves in STEM, and by the time they get to high school, it can be too late.”

That’s why Lisa’s programs focus on continuous touchpoints: three-week summer residential camps, immersive first-year projects like the “Nuclear Probe Project,” and long-distance trips to nuclear training facilities. The goal is to connect students with real-world experiences that humanize nuclear technology and demonstrate its impact in energy, medicine, security, and beyond.

This philosophy is deeply rooted in belonging. “An NC State engineering degree shows you have the technical skills,” Lisa explains. “But companies want to know: Can you collaborate? Will you ask for help? Are you mission-driven?”

Beyond Soft Skills: Fostering Professionalism and Resilience

One of the most powerful takeaways from Lisa’s episode is her emphasis on “professional skills”—not “soft skills.” For Lisa, communication, collaboration, and emotional intelligence aren’t nice-to-haves; they’re essential tools for leadership in the nuclear workforce.

She challenges students to leave their comfort zones—not just to grow, but to prepare themselves for a career in an industry that’s increasingly diverse, interdisciplinary, and globally relevant.

Through her work with ANS, Marshall has created spaces where students build these capabilities early. She credits the society with helping her find her own leadership voice. “I got tricked into going to my first ANS meeting,” she laughs. “But from there, I found my people. It’s where I started giving back.”

That commitment to giving back is now evident in everything she touches—from her classroom teaching to her international work with the OECD. Whether she’s helping students navigate their first engineering project or speaking on behalf of nuclear innovation at global forums, Lisa shows up with the same clarity and purpose.

Global Perspective, Local Passion

Lisa’s identity as a Caribbean Canadian-American adds depth to her global outlook. Her upbringing and education influence how she sees the intersection of science, society, and culture—and how nuclear must evolve to stay relevant.

As a thought leader, she’s involved in global efforts to address nuclear’s role in medicine, agriculture, energy, and security. But as an educator, she’s equally invested in individual growth. “We need relationship builders,” she says. “People who will be there for the long term. Engagement isn’t a one-time thing. It’s the foundation.”

Lisa understands that building a nuclear future isn’t just about innovation—it’s about creating a culture where people feel seen, supported, and inspired to lead.

Go Slow to Go Far: A Leadership Philosophy for the Future

Perhaps the most powerful theme in Lisa’s conversation with Phil Zeringue is her belief in process over position. “It’s the steps we take, not the title at the end,” she says. “We have to make space for curiosity, failure, growth, and connection. That’s how we build a nuclear future that’s innovative, inclusive, and strong.”

This mindset—of intentional leadership, human-centered education, and long-term investment—is exactly what the nuclear sector needs. It’s also why Lisa Marshall is one of the most influential voices in nuclear education today.

At Nuclearn, we are proud to feature her story and share the values she embodies: mentorship, inclusivity, and the power of education to shape a better world.

🎧 Want to hear more from Lisa Marshall?
Visit nuclearn.ai to listen to her full conversation on The Future of Nuclear podcast.
Discover how she’s building the next generation of nuclear leaders—one student, one lesson, and one bold idea at a time.