Naked Nuclear

I Asked If Solar Could Power California… and It Got Complicated

What started as a simple question turned into a full-blown debate:

 If solar panels and batteries are getting so good…
why does California still need nuclear energy?

In this episode, we break down what actually keeps the lights on — beyond headlines, hot takes, and LinkedIn comment wars.

What You’ll Learn

Why “more solar” doesn’t automatically solve the problem

Solar energy is powerful — but it only works when the sun is shining.
Electricity systems need to work all the time, not just during ideal conditions.

The difference between dispatchable and weather-dependent power

Not all energy sources behave the same way.

• Dispatchable power = can be turned on whenever needed
• Solar & wind = depend on weather and time of day

This distinction is at the heart of how power grids are designed.

Why batteries help… but don’t solve everything

Batteries can store energy for hours — not days or weeks.

Scaling them to support an entire grid would require:

• massive infrastructure
• large amounts of materials
• and systems we haven’t fully built yet

The “last 10% problem”

Getting to ~80–90% clean energy is achievable.

But the final stretch to 100%?

That’s where:

• costs rise sharply
• reliability becomes harder
• and system complexity increases

Capacity factor (explained simply)

Not all energy sources produce power at the same rate over time.

• Nuclear: ~90% uptime
• Solar: ~20–25% depending on location

This affects how much infrastructure you need to meet demand.

What is grid inertia?

Power grids rely on physical stability — not just energy supply.

Traditional plants (like nuclear and hydro):

• use large spinning turbines
• help stabilize frequency and flow

Solar and batteries don’t naturally provide this, which means engineers must recreate it in other ways.

Nuclear’s role in a clean energy system

Nuclear isn’t replacing renewables.

It provides:

• consistent, 24/7 power
• high energy output from a small footprint
• stability for the grid when other sources fluctuate

Special Thanks

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the original discussion!

Find the post here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/danielleallen-nuclear_in-the-most-civil-manner-possible-could-activity-7438758963921248256-o8EE

🎙️ About Naked Nuclear

Naked Nuclear breaks down complex nuclear energy topics into clear, honest conversations — helping listeners understand not just the technology, but the systems and decisions shaping our energy future.

 Further Reading (Direct Links)

 Grid Inertia (the thing nobody explains well)

• IEEE Smart Grid (your reference):
  https://smartgrid.ieee.org/bulletins/november-2020/brief-understanding-of-inertia-in-the-smart-grid-its-challenges-and-solutions

Grid Reliability & Clean Energy Systems

• International Energy Agency – Net Zero by 2050
  https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050
• International Energy Agency – Electricity Market Reporthttps://www.iea.org/reports/electricity-market-report

 Capacity Factors & Real-World Grid Data

• U.S. Energy Information Administration – Capacity Factors Explained
  https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=10191
• U.S. Energy Information Administration – Electricity Data Browser
  https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/

 System Costs & “Last 10% Problem”

• OECD Nuclear Energy Agency – The Full Costs of Electricity Provisionhttps://www.oecd-nea.org/jcms/pl_51110/the-full-costs-of-electricity-provision
• OECD Nuclear Energy Agency – System Costs in Decarbonised Power Systemshttps://www.oecd-nea.org/jcms/pl_15000/system-costs-of-electricity

 Batteries & Energy Storage

• International Energy Agency – Energy Storage Tracking
  https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-storage

Nuclear Performance

• World Nuclear Association – Nuclear Power Performancehttps://world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/nuclear-power-in-the-world-today.aspx

What happens when an environmentalist changes their mind about nuclear energy?

In this episode of Naked Nuclear, Danielle sits down with Zion Lights, environmental advocate, award-winning science communicator, and author of Energy Is Life to unpack one of the most important (and uncomfortable) shifts happening in climate conversations today.

Zion shares her journey from anti-nuclear activism to becoming one of the most prominent voices advocating for nuclear as a critical solution to climate change. This isn’t just a story about energy — it’s about intellectual honesty, changing your mind in public, and what it really means to support life on this planet.

Together, we explore:

• Why energy abundance is essential for human and environmental well-being
• Where parts of the environmental movement have gone wrong on nuclear
• The role of fear, narratives, and misinformation in shaping public opinion
• Why nuclear energy is uniquely positioned to support deep decarbonization
• How to communicate complex, controversial ideas without losing people

This episode challenges assumptions, reframes the climate conversation, and asks a bigger question:

What if being pro-environment also means being pro-nuclear?

Get the Book

Zion’s new book, Energy Is Life, is available now on Amazon.
If you want to go deeper into the ideas discussed in this episode, this is the place to start.

 Follow Zion Lights

Stay up to date with Zion’s work and insights across platforms:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zion.lights/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zionlights/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zilovesscience
• X: ziontree

If you’re a qualified nuclear professional looking to get personalized job alerts in the industry, sign up with Nuclear Talent Scout.

When people talk about building nuclear power plants, the conversation usually centers on policy, engineering, and billion-dollar infrastructure.

But reactors aren’t built in conference rooms.

They’re built by craft workers.

In this episode of Naked Nuclear, Danielle sits down with nuclear welder Tyree McCall, who started his career at Plant Vogtle Units 3 & 4 at just nineteen years old. What began as a labor job quickly turned into a mentorship-driven apprenticeship where experienced workers pushed him to level up his skills and pursue welding.

Working ten-hour days and attending welding school at night, Tyree eventually transitioned into nuclear welding—one of the most technically demanding and responsibility-heavy crafts in the industry.

Together, they explore what it really takes to build nuclear infrastructure: discipline, safety culture, accountability, and the personal growth required to succeed in a high-stakes environment.

This episode pulls back the curtain on the boots-on-the-ground workforce that makes nuclear energy possible.

• How Tyree landed his first job at Plant Vogtle Units 3 & 4

• What it feels like to walk onto a nuclear construction site at 19

• Why the mentors on site “raised him” in the craft

• The reality of working full-time while attending welding school at night

• The difference between nuclear welding and other welding careers

• What nuclear safety culture actually looks like on a job site

• The intense pressure of passing nuclear welding certification tests

• How failures and feedback shape skilled trades professionals

• The lifestyle changes that come with holding a nuclear badge and clearance

• Advice for students considering trades careers in the nuclear industry

Tyree credits much of his early success to experienced workers on the Vogtle site who encouraged him to pursue higher-skilled trades and pushed him to think long-term about his career.

What an EPC Actually Does: Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Explained

What does it actually take to build a nuclear power plant?

In this After-Pop! episode of Naked Nuclear, Danielle breaks down one of the most important, and least explained, parts of major infrastructure projects: the EPC contractor.

EPC stands for Engineering, Procurement, and Construction, and companies operating in this space are responsible for turning complex reactor designs into real, operating power plants.

Drawing from the conversation with Ahmet Tokpinar of Bechtel, this episode explores how EPC companies coordinate engineering teams, global supply chains, and massive construction efforts to deliver some of the most sophisticated energy projects in the world.

You’ll learn how nuclear plants move from concept and design to concrete and steel, and why EPC capability will play a critical role as countries work to expand nuclear energy over the next two decades.

• What EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) actually means
• Why nuclear plants require some of the most complex engineering integration in the world
• How procurement teams coordinate massive global supply chains
• What makes nuclear construction different from other infrastructure projects
• Why project sequencing and quality assurance are critical in nuclear builds
• The workforce required to deliver the next generation of reactors
• How modular construction and digital engineering may speed up future projects
• Why EPC capability may determine the pace of global nuclear expansion

As the world works to expand reliable, low-carbon energy, nuclear power is returning to the global conversation.

But reactors don't build themselves.

Delivering new plants will require the coordination of engineers, craft workers, manufacturers, regulators, and project managers, all working together across years of development and construction.

Understanding the EPC model helps explain how large-scale nuclear projects move from design to deployment.

To hear the full discussion with Ahmet Tokpinar from Bechtel about nuclear project delivery and the future of large infrastructure builds, check out the full episode on Naked Nuclear.

Are you a Nuclear professional looking for your next career? Sign up for customized job alerts based on your salary, location, and type of work preferences here:

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Nuclear power is often described as essential for climate goals, grid reliability, and energy security.

But here’s the real question:

Can we actually build it safely, on time, and on budget?

In this episode of Naked Nuclear, Danielle Allen sits down with Ahmet Tokpinar, Principal Vice President and General Manager of Nuclear Power at Bechtel, to unpack the boots-on-the-ground reality of building nuclear power plants in today’s world.

From geotechnical investigations and contractor qualification to long-lead supply chains and workforce development, this conversation moves beyond theory and into execution, exploring what it actually takes to deliver nuclear infrastructure at scale.

What We Cover

• What really happens before construction begins on a nuclear plant
• Why nuclear construction is fundamentally different from other mega-projects
• How contractors and subcontractors become “nuclear-qualified”
• The role of supply chains and long-lead equipment in schedule success
• Lessons learned from Vogtle Units 3 & 4
• What it means to build a first-of-a-kind plant in Poland
• How advanced reactors like Natrium change construction (and what stays the same) 

About our Guest

Ahmet Tokpinar is Principal Vice President and General Manager of Nuclear Power at Bechtel.

He leads Bechtel’s global nuclear portfolio, spanning large reactors, advanced reactors, operating plant modifications, and fuel cycle work.

With more than 30 years of experience in nuclear project execution and business strategy, Ahmet has played a leadership role in major projects including Vogtle 3 & 4, Poland’s nuclear deployment, and the Natrium advanced reactor.

About the Season

This episode is part of Season 3: How to Build a Nuclear Power Plant, a deep dive into the companies, people, and systems required to move nuclear from blueprint to grid.

Further Reading: 

https://www.bechtel.com/markets/nuclear-power/

https://www.bechtel.com/projects/vogtle-units-3-and-4/

https://www.bechtel.com/projects/poland-ap1000-nuclear-power-plant/

https://www.bechtel.com/projects/natrium-demonstration-project/

What happens when a nuclear engineering PhD student realizes that the book she needed as a child… doesn’t exist?

She writes it.

In this episode of Naked Nuclear, Danielle sits down with Zola Hind, Jamaican-born computer scientist turned nuclear engineering researcher at Bangor University — and author of Island Energy Superhero: A Kids’ Guide to Energies in the Caribbean.

From visualizing nuclear fuel behavior using astronomy-inspired methods… to printing her book in braille for visually impaired students… Zola is building an energy-literate Caribbean one classroom at a time.

This conversation explores:

• Why representation matters in energy education
• How nuclear engineering “chose” her
• What it means to fail forward in a PhD program
• The role of clean energy in Caribbean climate resilience

Whether you’re a student, parent, educator, policymaker, or just energy-curious , this episode will leave you thinking differently about who gets to be part of the energy transition.

 Get the Book

Island Energy Superhero: A Kids’ Guide to Energies in the Caribbean

Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Island-Energy-Superhero-Energies-Caribbean/dp/1998245098

Official Website:
https://islandenergybook.my.canva.site/#home

The book is also available in select Jamaican bookstores and at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.

About Zola Hind

Zola Hind is a PhD researcher in nuclear engineering at Bangor University with a background in computer science and data visualization. Her research focuses on novel methods for modeling and visualizing nuclear fuel behavior.

She is passionate about:

• Energy literacy
• Climate resilience in the Caribbean
• Accessibility and inclusion in STEM
• Making complex science understandable for everyone

In this episode, Danielle talks with Uchenna Ezibe about how the American Nuclear Society is shaping the future of nuclear education—starting as early as kindergarten. They dive into ANS’s hands-on programs like cloud chambers, educator training, and the new Accelerators initiative for high schoolers.

Learn how early exposure to nuclear concepts can spark student curiosity, close the literacy gap, and help build the next generation of clean energy professionals.

Highlights:

Why nuclear literacy shouldn’t wait until college

What it’s like to “see” radiation with a cloud chamber

How ANS is training both teachers and student leaders

Behind the scenes of the Accelerators program

What a near-peer mentorship network looks like in action

Mentioned Resources:

ANS K-12 hub: https://www.ans.org/nuclear

Navigating Nuclear curriculum: https://www.ans.org/nuclear/navigatingnuclear

Cloud Chamber program: https://www.ans.org/nuclear/cloudchamber

Accelerators (high school): https://www.ans.org/nuclear/accelerators

Educator resources: https://www.ans.org/nuclear/educatorresources

Volunteer as a nuclear ambassador: https://www.ans.org/nuclear/ambassadors

Contact Uchenna: [email protected]

Connect with Us:

Website: https://www.nakednuclear.com

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-allen

In this crossover episode between Naked Nuclear and Nuclearn’s The Future of Nuclear, we bring together two teams with different backgrounds but a shared philosophy: curiosity, collaboration, and the courage to try.

Danielle comes from the world of storytelling and education; Phil comes from the world of digital nuclear operations and AI.

One explores the industry through conversations and community, the other builds tools to help the industry work smarter. Together, they compare notes on culture, creativity, learning curves, and the very real value of taking the first step even when you don’t have all the answers.

This episode is about nuclear — yes. But it’s also about the people building it, the mindset behind innovation, and why trying (and sometimes failing) is one of the most underrated skills in our field.

Learn more about Nuclearn:

Nuclearn.ai

Listen to 'The Future of Nuclear' Podcast here:

https://nuclearn.ai/1569-2/

What exactly is plasma, and why are some of the world’s brightest minds betting on fusion energy to power our future?

In this episode of Naked Nuclear, host Danielle sits down with Dr. Arturo Dominguez — Head of Science Education at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) — to break it all down in plain language.

From his own journey into plasma physics to PPPL’s groundbreaking research, Dr. Dominguez shares how fusion works, why it matters, and how students everywhere can get involved.

We dive into PPPL’s free Introduction to Fusion and Plasma Physics course — a beginner-friendly, online class designed to make complex science accessible for anyone curious about the future of energy. Whether you're a college student, a career switcher, or just fusion-curious, this episode will give you a clear view into the fascinating world of plasma, research at Princeton, and how fusion could become a key player in the clean energy race.

Check out more Resources:

Intro to Fusion & Plasma Physics Course:

https://www.pppl.gov/events/2023/introduction-fusion-energy-and-plasma-physics-course

Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI): https://www.pppl.gov/science-undergraduate-laboratory-internships-suli

Princeton Plasma Physics Lab (PPPL): https://www.pppl.gov More about Dr. Arturo Dominguez: https://www.pppl.gov/people/arturo-dominguez

What happens when you unleash more power than every power plant on Earth — for just a few billionths of a second?

Welcome to After-Pop! — today, we’re diving into the Z Machine, the crown jewel of Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It’s the most powerful pulsed-power facility on the planet, capable of creating the same temperatures and pressures found inside stars, nuclear detonations, and planetary cores.

In this episode, we’ll break down:

• Why the Z Machine was built — and how it keeps our nuclear stockpile safe without detonations.
• How the Z-pinch and “pulsed power” concept work — explained in plain English with real-world analogies.
• How researchers are using it to advance fusion energy, the same reaction that powers the Sun.
• Just how powerful 80 terawatts really is — and why shockwaves from each test can be felt miles away.
• What these micro-bursts of power teach us about the future of clean energy, defense, and physics at the edge of what’s possible.

For a few nanoseconds, the Z Machine outshines the entire human race’s power output — a lightning strike made by human hands.

Wanna READ MORE?

• Sandia’s official Z machine page (overview, how it works, research)
  https://www.sandia.gov/z-machine/

• Sandia’s fusion research page
  https://www.sandia.gov/z-machine/fusion/

• Sandia’s energy research page
  https://www.sandia.gov/z-machine/research/energy/

• The video you mentioned (Inside the Most Powerful X-Ray Source in the World)
  https://www.asminternational.org/news/videos/-/journal_content/56/10192/43932389/VIDEO/

• World Nuclear News article on First Light test on Z
  https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/first-light-fusion-hails-success-of-initial-test-i

• Atlas Obscura page for general background & visual color
  https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-z-machine-albuquerque-new-mexico