I was asked during an interview recently what my most controversial opinion on energy was. And while I would like to think I have more than one controversial opinion, because otherwise what’s the fun, I’d like to dive more into the answer I gave, which was about the ramp rates of nuclear power.

Key questions: how does solar PV fit into power grids with a lot of nuclear? And conversely, how does nuclear fit with high renewables systems?

References and recommended reading:

Thanks so much for listening and I hope to see you in future episodes this year. If you have insight on ramp rate concerns other than the Xenon-135 buildup, please let me know!

There’s this idea that hydropower is dead in the U.S. Little capacity is being built. There’s a bunch of environmental concerns. The works. But is that really true? Here's what’s going on with hydroelectric power plants in the United States.

Sources and recommended reading:

The near-term future of nuclear power projects in the U.S. may hinge on Georgia's new units at nuclear plant Vogtle, which is estimated to cost over $30 billion. This episode explores cost concerns related to nuclear fission from a public service commission perspective, methods to uprate existing nuclear plants, and my perception of risk comparing small modular reactors (SMRs) versus conventional nuclear plant projects in the face of Vogtle's cost overruns.

Sources:

This episode is about my experience supporting the solar renewable energy credit program in MA in 2016. Timestamps and recommended reading below.

Timestamps:

Recommended Reading:

Quick correction: at 15:55 - I meant to say 860 MW of residential solar, instead of 860 kW.

How does the electricity grid work? What are the barriers to making it cleaner? And who has the power to decide? Hi, I’m Nick Sorokin, a master’s student at Duke University studying energy and the environment. And welcome to my new show, Back on the Grid.

There was a time when I worked in clean energy, but now, I'm all washed up. This weekly show is my journey to learn new things about the electricity sector and will hopefully culminate in my pivot back in a career in clean tech.

Thanks for listening and I hope to see you in the first episode, where I'll cover my experience supporting residential solar PV in Massachusetts in 2016.