AI has reawakened interest in nuclear energy, but rebooting America’s nuclear age will take time and face challenges.

Get your tickets to OPNEXT 2026 before prices increase! Join us on April 16 in NYC for technical discussions, investor talks, and intimate conversation with the brightest minds in Bitcoin.

Welcome back to The Blockspace Podcast! Today, Dr. Hashem Hashemian, President of the American Nuclear Society and CEO of AMS, joins us to talk about the massive resurgence of nuclear energy in the United States. We dive into the shift from decommissioning plants to life-extensions of up to 100 years, the economic impact of AI and data centers on power demand, and the $12 billion investment flowing into Tennessee's nuclear hub. Dr. Hashemian explains why nuclear fell out of favor and the challenges the industry faces as it gets back on its feet.

Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com

Notes:

* 94 nuclear plants produce 20% of US power.

* License extensions aim for 100-year lifespans.

* $12B committed for nuclear fuel refining in Oak Ridge.

* $100M Tennessee state funding for nuclear dev.

* Global nuclear must triple for climate goals.

* $1.7B Oklo recycling plant coming to Tennessee.

Timestamps:

00:00 Start

05:51 Tennessee represent

07:56 State of the nuclear industry

10:42 Nuclear faded in USA

17:19 Barriers to Nuclear development

20:12 Reforming the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

27:01 Red tape

29:47 What other policies would be good?

32:41 China copying

34:17 Remaining chokepoints

38:05 States leading the charge

40:46 Are SMRs really a thing?

44:18 Why are SMRs taking so long?

46:21 Fusion? Are we still talking about this?

48:56 Recycling fuel

👉CleanSpark

CleanSpark (Nasdaq: CLSK) is a market-leading data center developer with a proven track record of success. We own a portfolio of power, land, and data centers across the United States powered by globally competitive energy prices. Sitting at the intersection of Bitcoin, energy, operational excellence and capital stewardship, we optimize our infrastructure to deliver superior returns to our shareholders. Monetizing low-cost, high reliability energy by producing a global emerging critical resource – compute – positions us to prosper in an ever-changing world.

👉Luxor, Blockspace's preferred mining pool

Bitcoin mining revenue changes every day. Difficulty adjusts. Fees move. Prices shift. And that makes it hard to plan. Luxor Pool’s Fixed Payouts let miners lock in revenue at a guaranteed daily rate for up to 18 months. According to Hashrate Index, miners who used rolling fixed payout strategies since the last halving have outperformed FPPS mining by up to 15 percent. Fixed Payouts give you predictable daily revenue, so you can plan, budget, and grow with confidence. With Luxor, uncertainty is optional. Learn more at luxor.tech/mining