Podcasts about Idaho National Laboratory

Climate imperatives, national security, and the need for reliable, carbon-free, dispatchable power to meet rising electricity demand are all contributing to a resurgence in nuclear energy. The United States is taking a leading role in this industry's growth. Tech companies are signing major deals for nuclear energy to meet their growing energy needs. And President Trump recently signed four executive orders aimed at dramatically increasing nuclear power generation — an issue with rare bipartisan support. But significant challenges remain. Cost overruns and delays, as seen with the troubled Vogtle project in Georgia, are hampering power plant construction in the US. Meanwhile, China and Russia are dominating global nuclear construction and fuel, raising questions about American competitiveness and national security. So can the United States become a leader in nuclear energy deployment, without sacrificing safety? What role will new technologies and policy play in changing the trajectory? And what part should the US government play in financing, regulating, and promoting nuclear energy both domestically and internationally? This week, Jason Bordoff speaks with Ashley Finan and Matt Bowen about the drivers behind this nuclear resurgence and why, as they argue in a recent Foreign Policy article, it is vital to meet rising electricity demand.  Ashley recently joined the Center on Global Energy Policy as a global fellow after serving in senior leadership roles at Idaho National Laboratory, where she worked on nuclear energy and national security issues. Matt is a senior research scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy, where he focuses on nuclear energy policy, economics, and regulation. Credits: Hosted by Jason Bordoff and Bill Loveless. Produced by Mary Catherine O'Connor, Caroline Pitman, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is executive producer.  

The Idaho National Laboratory is working on a suite of artificial intelligence capabilities to enhance nuclear energy research. During an interview at AWS Summit in Washington, D.C., the lab's Scientific Computing Division Director Chris Ritter discussed how the organization is using generative AI to address complex scientific challenges across domains like reactor design and operations. The lab successfully created a digital twin of an aging reactor, streaming real-time data to the cloud and using multiple machine-learning models to predict operational parameters. Ritter emphasized the broader implications of AI integration in these areas, like how “AI jams” engage scientists and lab directors to explore it. The approach represents a comprehensive strategy to not only advance scientific research, but also prepare the workforce for an AI-driven future.

Three decades after a monumental agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy over radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel storage, Idaho this week agreed to a waiver that will allow the federal government to send a cask of spent nuclear fuel to the Idaho National Laboratory. Plus, increased attention on wildfire management and the possible impacts of the Trump administration's budget proposal.

The U.S. nuclear industry is entering a new era—one that demands cutting-edge research, advanced reactor technologies, and stronger collaboration across the energy ecosystem. And now, that future has a new launchpad: the Sample Preparation Laboratory (SPL) at the Idaho National Laboratory. As the first hot cell facility built by the U.S. Department of Energy in nearly half a century, the SPL is designed to push the boundaries of nuclear materials science. From its autonomous robotic systems to its modular infrastructure, this lab promises to accelerate the pace of discovery while opening doors to collaboration among utilities, researchers, and policymakers. Listen in as Power Perspectives sits down with Colin Judge, Division Director for Nuclear Materials Performance at INL and a key leader behind this groundbreaking initiative, as he shares how this new lab will serve as a critical tool for understanding how materials perform in extreme environments—an essential piece of the puzzle as the energy industry looks to next-generation nuclear technologies. Key Links: Energy Central Post with Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/inside-doe-nuclear-research-facility-50-years-making Video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0cRJR4xKR0o Idaho National Lab on Energy Central: https://energycentral.com/o/idaho-national-labs Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on Power Perspectives? Leave us a message here for your chance to be featured in an upcoming episode: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast

When you think of innovative advancements in nuclear power technology, places like the Idaho National Laboratory and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology probably come to mind. But today, some very exciting nuclear power development work is being done in West Texas, specifically, at Abilene Christian University (ACU). That's where Natura Resources is working to construct a molten salt–cooled, liquid-fueled reactor (MSR). “We are in the process of building, most likely, the country's first advanced nuclear reactor,” Doug Robison, founder and CEO of Natura Resources, said as a guest on The POWER Podcast. Natura has taken an iterative, milestone-based approach to advanced reactor development and deployment, focused on efficiency and performance. This started in 2020 when the company brought together ACU's NEXT Lab with Texas A&M University; the University of Texas, Austin; and the Georgia Institute of Technology to form the Natura Resources Research Alliance. In only four years, Natura and its partners developed a unique nuclear power system and successfully licensed the design. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a construction permit for deployment of the system at ACU last September. Called the MSR-1, ACU's unit will be a 1-MWth molten salt research reactor (MSRR). It is expected to provide valuable operational data to support Natura's 100-MWe systems. It will also serve as a “world-class research tool” to train advanced reactor operators and educate students, the company said. Natura is not only focused on its ACU project, but it is also moving forward on commercial reactor projects. In February, the company announced the deployment of two advanced nuclear projects, which are also in Texas. These deployments, located in the Permian Basin and at Texas A&M University's RELLIS Campus, represent significant strides in addressing energy and water needs in the state. “Our first was a deployment of a Natura commercial reactor in the Permian Basin, which is where I spent my career. We're partnering with a Texas produced-water consortium that was created by the legislature in 2021,” said Robison. One of the things that can be done with the high process heat from an MSR is desalinization. “So, we're going to be desalinating produced water and providing power—clean power—to the oil and gas industry for their operations in the Permian Basin,” said Robison. Meanwhile, at Texas A&M's RELLIS Campus, which is located about eight miles northwest of the university's main campus in College Station, Texas, a Natura MSR-100 reactor will be deployed. The initiative is part of a broader project known as “The Energy Proving Ground,” which involves multiple nuclear reactor companies. The project aims to bring commercial-ready small modular reactors (SMRs) to the site, providing a reliable source of clean energy for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).

The Stationary Low-Power Plant Number 1 was a small boiling-water reactor built at the National Reactor Testing Station, west of Idaho Falls, Idaho. On January 3, 1961, during a restart of the reactor, a catastrophic tragedy unfolded when the reactor went supercritical. Research: Divison of Technical Information Extension, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. “SL-1 The Accident, Phases I and II.” https://www.osti.gov/sciencecinema/biblio/1129428 Francisco, A.D. and E. T. Tomlinson. “Analysis of the SL-1 Accident Using RELAP5-3D.” Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory. 2007 International RELAP5 User’s Seminar. November 7 -9, 2007. https://inis.iaea.org/collection/NCLCollectionStore/_Public/39/038/39038759.pdf?r=1 Idaho National Laboratory. “SL-1, Idaho: Just the Facts.” https://factsheets.inl.gov/FactSheets/Just%20the%20Facts_SL-1.pdf O’Connor, Bryan. “Supercritical: SL-1 Nuclear Reactor Explosion.” NASA. September 2007. https://sma.nasa.gov/docs/default-source/safety-messages/safetymessage-2007-09-01-sl1nuclearreactorexplosion-vits.pdf McKeown, William. “Idaho Falls: The Untold Story of America’s First Nuclear Accident.” ECW Press. 2003. Perry, E.F. “Stationary Low Power Reactor No. 1 (SL-1) Accident Site Decontamination & Dismantlement Project.” Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies. 10/27/1995. https://inis.iaea.org/collection/NCLCollectionStore/_Public/27/029/27029475.pdf?r=1 SL-1 Accident Briefing Report - 1961 Nuclear Reactor Meltdown Educational Documentary. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. https://www.osti.gov/sciencecinema/biblio/1122857 Sommers, Bryan W. “Idaho Falls: The First Nuclear Meltdown in America’s History.” 4/11/2024. https://www.argonelectronics.com/blog/idaho-falls-first-nuclear-meltdown-in-americas-history Stacy, Susan M. “Proving the Principle.” Idaho Operations Office of the Department of Energy Idaho Falls, Idaho. 2000. U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. “IDO Report on the Nuclear Incident at the SL-1 Reactor, January 3, 1961, National Reactor Testing Station.” U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Idaho Operations Office. US Atomic Energy Commission. “REPORT ON THE SL-1 INCIDENT, JANUARY 3, 1961” https://archive.org/details/SL1PressRelease1961 Wander, Steve, executive editor. “Supercritical.” System Failure Case Studies. Vol. 1, Issue 4. https://sma.nasa.gov/docs/default-source/safety-messages/safetymessage-2007-09-01-sl1nuclearreactorexplosion.pdf See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marc Stewart is from Sugar City, Idaho. He served a mission in the Columbia South Carolina Mission. Brother Stewart received a bachelor's degree from BYU-Idaho in business finance and an MBA from Western Governor's University. He worked at the Idaho National Laboratory for six years as a Planning and Financial Controls Specialist, four years at BYU-Idaho in a few financial roles, six years at BYU-Idaho Pathway Worldwide as the Budget Officer, and then at BYU-Idaho as the Budget Officer. Brother Stewart has been married to his wife, Taunia, for 23 years. They have four children, two boys and two girls. He has served as Sunday School president, Young Men's president, elders quorum president, ward clerk, counselor in the bishopric, high councilor, and stake presidency counselor. He currently serves as a priest quorum advisor.

Podcast: (CS)²AI Podcast Show: Control System Cyber SecurityEpisode: Cyber Informed Engineering: Protecting Critical Infrastructure with Ginger WrightPub date: 2024-11-19Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationDerek Harp hosts Virginia "Ginger" Wright, a program manager at Idaho National Laboratory, known for her pioneering work in cybersecurity for critical infrastructure. Ginger shares the history and importance of Cyber Informed Engineering (CIE) and how this engineering philosophy integrates safety protocols directly into the design of industrial systems, making them resilient against cyber threats. They discuss the origins of CIE in nuclear energy safety, the unique assets of Idaho National Laboratory, and the vital role engineers play in safeguarding critical infrastructure. Ginger also dives into practical resources like the Cyber Informed Engineering Implementation Guide, sharing how organizations and educators can adopt this methodology. Join us for insights into CIE's impact on the future of OT and ICS cybersecurity.The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Derek Harp, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.

Derek Harp hosts Virginia "Ginger" Wright, a program manager at Idaho National Laboratory, known for her pioneering work in cybersecurity for critical infrastructure. Ginger shares the history and importance of Cyber Informed Engineering (CIE) and how this engineering philosophy integrates safety protocols directly into the design of industrial systems, making them resilient against cyber threats. They discuss the origins of CIE in nuclear energy safety, the unique assets of Idaho National Laboratory, and the vital role engineers play in safeguarding critical infrastructure. Ginger also dives into practical resources like the Cyber Informed Engineering Implementation Guide, sharing how organizations and educators can adopt this methodology. Join us for insights into CIE's impact on the future of OT and ICS cybersecurity.

Microreactors are a class of very small modular reactors targeted for non-conventional nuclear markets. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) supports a variety of advanced reactor designs, including gas, liquid-metal, molten-salt, and heat-pipe-cooled concepts. In the U.S., microreactor developers are currently focused on designs that could be deployed as early as the mid-2020s. The key features of microreactors that distinguish them from other reactor types mainly revolve around their size. Microreactors typically produce less than 20 MW of thermal output. The size obviously allows a much smaller footprint than traditional nuclear power reactors. It also allows for factory fabrication and easier transportability. Among other unique aspects are their self-regulating capability, which could enable remote and semi-autonomous microreactor operation. Their rapid deployability (weeks or months rather than many years) is a huge benefit, too, allowing units to be used in emergency response and other time-sensitive situations. Furthermore, some designs are expected to operate for up to 10 years or more without refueling or significant maintenance, which could be a big benefit in remote locations. A lot of microreactor development work is being done at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). John H. Jackson, National Technical Director for the DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy Microreactor program at INL, was a recent guest on The POWER Podcast. On the show, he noted some of the programs and facilities INL has available to assist in proving microreactor concepts. “I like to say it starts with my program, because I'm overtly focused on enabling and accelerating commercial development and deployment of microreactor technology,” Jackson said. “But there are certainly the entities like the National Reactor Innovation Center, or NRIC, which is heavily focused on deployment and enabling deployment of microreactor technology, as well as small modular reactor technology.” POWER has reported extensively on the Pele and MARVEL microreactor projects. Project Pele is a Department of Defense (DOD) project that recently broke ground at INL. Meanwhile, MARVEL, which stands for Microreactor Applications Research Validation and EvaLuation, is funded through the DOE by the Office of Nuclear Energy's Microreactor program. Project Pele aims to build and demonstrate a high-temperature gas-cooled mobile microreactor manufactured by Lynchburg, Virginia–headquartered BWXT Advanced Technologies. Fueled with TRI-structural ISOtropic particle fuel, Project Pele will produce 1 MWe to 5 MWe for INL's Critical Infrastructure Test Range Complex (CITRC) electrical test grid. The DOD noted last month that assembly of the final Pele reactor is scheduled to begin in February 2025, and the current plan is to transport the fully assembled reactor to INL in 2026. The MARVEL design is a sodium-potassium-cooled microreactor that will be built inside the Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility at INL. It will generate 85 kW of thermal energy and about 20 kW of electrical output. It is not intended to be a commercial design, but the experience of constructing and operating the unit could be crucial for future microreactor developers and microgrid designers, as future plans are to connect it to a microgrid. “The MARVEL reactor is one of the top priorities, if not the top priority, at the Idaho National Laboratory, along with the project Pele,” Jackson said. “One or the other—Pele or MARVEL—will be the first reactor built at Idaho National Laboratory in over 50 years.” Still, Jackson was cautious when it came to predicting when the first microreactor might begin operation. “I cringe sometimes when people get a little ahead of themselves and start making bold declarations, like, ‘We're going to have a microreactor next year,' for instance. I think it's important to be excited, but it's also important to stay realistic with respect to timeframes for deployment,” he said.

Years of Service: 1996-Present  Karl had always been fascinated with law enforcement but when he was attending college, he found that he had a knack for chemistry and math and decided that getting a degree in chemical engineering was the smart way to go. Karl worked at the Idaho National Laboratory for several years but was not fulfilled in what he was doing.  In 1996, Karl became a reserve deputy for the Shelly Police Department and knew he had found his calling. Karl took a substantial pay cut to pursue his dream but said he never regretted making the jump into law enforcement.  In 2005, Karl was hired by the Bonneville County Sheriff's Office and after a short while on patrol was promoted to detective. Karl gravitated toward sexual assault cases but as a detective handled investigations such as domestic violence, fraud, and homicide. Karl used the analytical thinking gained from his chemical engineering degree to investigate his cases and prided himself in taking a different approach to his cases than a traditional detective.  In addition to his detective duties, Karl was also a SWAT negotiator.  Today Karl works as a cold case investigator for the Idaho State Police investigating cases that are in need of a fresh perspective to bring justice for the victims.

August 6 and 9, 1945, mark the dates when Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed with atomic weapons. At the Nagasaki memorial gathering last week, Israel was not invited causing the US to also refuse attendance. Most of us have at least heard of the Manhattan Project, but probably know very little about it. For one, there was an occult element present involving Nazi occultism, Jewish mysticism, and alchemy. For two, after Hanford was decommission, being one of the main laboratories in the project alongside Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, and Argonne, much of the waste was dumped in a remote part of Idaho. Located just east of Craters of the Moon monument is the Idaho National Laboratory, a sort of Department of Energy Area 51. This area of Idaho is home to the first nuclear reactor - which powered the nearby town of Arco, the first in the world to be lit by nuclear energy - dozens of accidental and intentional reactor meltdowns, experiments on nuclear powered cars and planes, and dozens of both accidental leaks and intentional exposures to radiation involving humans, animals, water, etc. INL has been criticized - by the few who know - for their handling of nuclear waste and its dumping into the area's water supply, and for employee health problem caused by accidental and intentional exposures. For all the propaganda that revolves around INL, beyond its relative secrecy, the federal government has paid hundreds of millions in settlements. Idaho also has the highest per-capita UFO reports, reminding us of the UFO's interest in nuclear technology.-FREE ARCHIVE & RSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-secret-teachings Twitter: https://twitter.com/TST___Radio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesecretteachings WEBSITE (BOOKS, RESUBSCRIBE for early show access): http://thesecretteachings.info Paypal: rdgable@yahoo.com CashApp: $rdgable EMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / TSTRadio@protonmail.com

August 6 and 9, 1945, mark the dates when Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed with atomic weapons. At the Nagasaki memorial gathering last week, Israel was not invited causing the US to also refuse attendance. Most of us have at least heard of the Manhattan Project, but probably know very little about it. For one, there was an occult element present involving Nazi occultism, Jewish mysticism, and alchemy. For two, after Hanford was decommission, being one of the main laboratories in the project alongside Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, and Argonne, much of the waste was dumped in a remote part of Idaho. Located just east of Craters of the Moon monument is the Idaho National Laboratory, a sort of Department of Energy Area 51. This area of Idaho is home to the first nuclear reactor - which powered the nearby town of Arco, the first in the world to be lit by nuclear energy - dozens of accidental and intentional reactor meltdowns, experiments on nuclear powered cars and planes, and dozens of both accidental leaks and intentional exposures to radiation involving humans, animals, water, etc. INL has been criticized - by the few who know - for their handling of nuclear waste and its dumping into the area's water supply, and for employee health problem caused by accidental and intentional exposures. For all the propaganda that revolves around INL, beyond its relative secrecy, the federal government has paid hundreds of millions in settlements. Idaho also has the highest per-capita UFO reports, reminding us of the UFO's interest in nuclear technology.-FREE ARCHIVE & RSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-secret-teachings Twitter: https://twitter.com/TST___Radio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesecretteachings WEBSITE (BOOKS, RESUBSCRIBE for early show access): http://thesecretteachings.info Paypal: rdgable@yahoo.com CashApp: $rdgable EMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / TSTRadio@protonmail.com

✈ A quick note: I will be traveling through the middle of the month and will be posting a bit less than usual and perhaps a bit shorter than usual.After decades of resistance to nuclear power, growing concern over climate change, rising electricity needs, and a desire for greater energy independence are spurring renewed public interest in a future powered by atomic fission (perhaps fusion, too). Today on Faster, Please! — The Podcast, I talk to Dr. Mike Goff about the state of US nuclear power, the developing advancements in nuclear technology, and what it will take to reach our vast potential.Goff is the acting assistant secretary and the principal deputy assistant secretary for the Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy. He previously spent over 30 years at Idaho National Laboratory, including a major advisory and management role. He has written over 70 publications on the nuclear fuel cycle.In This Episode* Atomic Age 2.0 (1:31)* Major concerns (7:37)* Out of practice (11:04)* Next-generation policy (17:38)* Human capital (21:48)* Fusion forecast (23:12)Below is a lightly edited transcript of our conversationAtomic Age 2.0 (1:31)The Energy Secretary recently spoke about adding a lot more nuclear capacity, tripling it, I think, by 2050 or so. And before we get into whether that's possible, I wanted to ask you: As you understand it, what is the current consensus explanation for why the Nuclear and Atomic Age of the '50s and '60s, why that kind of ended? Because when the secretary spoke about building more capacity, I thought about the — and this is something maybe a lot of people are unaware of, that President Nixon had a plan to build a lot of more nuclear reactors in this country back in the '70s during the oil crisis; that didn't happen, and we all know about Three Mile Island. But is there a consensus as to why Atomic Age 1.0 came to an end? Obviously we still get a lot of energy from nuclear, but not what people had imagined 40 years ago.There are a variety of reasons. We did build a lot at one point, and we were building 10 plants a year, pretty extensive builds out there. We did then have Three Mile Island in the late '70s, and then we got costs started going up, and schedules started increasing on the builds, and we ended up not having a lot of energy growth, in fact, we went for a long period where we weren't having a lot of energy growth, and we had a lot of other energy sources, natural gas, coal, and all. We had a lot of other energy sources out there as well. So yeah, we became pretty stagnated around 20 percent of the electricity. But now, like you say, yeah, there's been a big change in what we think the needs are for nuclear going forward, for a variety of reasons.My background is journalism, and as a journalist I've written, I know, multiple stories in my life about a Nuclear Renaissance. So I'm wondering why this time looks to be different. You suggested in your previous answer that there might be some reasons. What are those reasons that we may be entering a new age where we will see an expansion in the nuclear sector?I do think we will see that expansion, and, in fact, I think we have to see that expansion, and it's because of a lot of the positive attributes of nuclear right now. Obviously there's a lot of focus on trying to get more clean energy out there, and nuclear is a large base load source of clean energy. And it's not just CO2 emission, but it doesn't emit particulates and all, as well, so it's good air, good quality of life. So it has those key attributes. But there are other clean energy sources as well: renewables, hydro, and all that. But I think the recognition that, if you are going to go toward decarbonization, you need still base load electricity too. You need base load electricity to help intermittent sources like renewables to be able to expand more as well. So nuclear is very good at enabling decarbonization, not just by adding clean electricity to the grid, but enabling you to expand out other renewables like wind and solar and all, as well.Additionally, nuclear is very reliable. Of the energy sources, it has the highest capacity factor of any of the energy sources. In the United States, we run 93 percent of the time, so the existing fleet that we have out there of 94 plants, they're producing a 100 percent of the power 93 percent of the time, which dwarfs what any other energy source does out there as well.Nuclear is safe. At times people are concerned about safety, but, in reality, it's actually one of the safest energy sources out there and continues to demonstrate that.It's resilient for different weather-related events. It can still produce electricity out there as well. It also has a lot of energy security. And as we've learned, unfortunately, from Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, we recognize energy security is national security, so nuclear really does help us on that national security front. It provides an energy source that we can largely on-source from us and our allies. We've got assured fuel supplies, and provides that long-term power. You can put fuel in it and it can last for two years or so.And I guess one other thing I'll add out there as well, is it's a job creator. Of the different energy sources, the amount of jobs associated with nuclear are some of the highest on the amount of electricity produced. And when you actually start building nuclear, like we saw in Vogtle in Georgia where they were building the two plants, it creates huge amounts of jobs. In fact, I heard a stat recently that 35,000 union workers were trained as part of the construction of the Vogtle power plant, so it's a good job creator in all, as well. And again, the power density is great, it doesn't take up a lot of space, and with the advanced technologies that we've developed in the United States, you've continued to increase in the safety, you can have plants of a variety of different sizes that can be easily deployed to, say, retiring coal plants. It just has a lot of flexibility that it hasn't had in the past, but also it's that key recognition of its clean energy attributes, but its energy security attributes as well.Major concerns (7:37)I did not major in nuclear science, I majored in history and political science, but I remember I took a class as an undergraduate at Northwestern University on the nuclear fuel cycle, and I remember to this day that my professor — of course, this was obviously a while ago, and I think what most of the students knew about nuclear energy was probably Three Mile Island — and I remember to this day distinctly the professor saying, “If they wanted to build a nuclear reactor in my backyard, I would be totally fine with it.” He had zero fear on the safety issue. Now when you give that rap that you just gave me about the wonders of nuclear energy before regular people, what is their response? Do they worry about the nuclear waste? Do they worry about safety? Are they immediately sold, or what are the concerns that typically get raised to you?You brought them up. I mean, safety is brought up because you do see these high profile accidents like Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, Fukushima, which were accidents. They weren't good things that you want to have happen, but the industry's also a very learning industry. The improvements that come out of those events have just made the industry even safer and safer. And again, it's still safer than most any other electricity-producing industry out there as well.Waste does get brought up. We have not implemented a final disposal solution for the spent fuel from our reactors, but we have safely stored and managed the spent fuel over the last six decades, and the amount of fuel that's generated, I think the stat that gets tossed around, you could fit it all in a Walmart parking lot. This is not a lot of material because it's a high energy-density fuel. It's not a lot of material, and again, we safely manage that and store that. We have countries now that are moving forward with geological repositories, which we need to be doing in the United States. In fact, just last week, I went and visited the repository that hopefully will be operating next year in Finland for disposing of their spent fuel. We can do that, it's not a technical issue, so we can safely manage the spent fuel.The other issue that always comes up is still cost. We do have to demonstrate now that we can build these plants safely, and efficiently, and at a reasonable cost. On the Vogtle plant there were cost overruns and schedule overruns, but between Vogtle Unit 3 and Unit 4, there was about a 30 percent reduction in costs between those plants, so we are starting to get to where we can be deploying nth-of-a-kind cost plants out there as well. And hopefully with some of the small modular reactor designs and all that are going to rely more on modular construction, we can even get to nth-of-a-kind cost even quicker. It still takes some pushing and understanding to make sure that people do understand the advancements that have been made on nuclear technology, that it's not our parents' nuclear technology, there's a new round of technology out there.Out of practice (11:04)You raised two good points there. The cost issue, and that's a great stat about the Vogtle plant and the reduction between the two reactors. Is it your sense that the fact that we haven't been consistently building reactors and learning from the previous build, and having trained people who've worked on multiple reactors, that each one has become like this bespoke mega project? It's my sense, and it seems logical, at least to me, that that has been a cost driver, that we haven't been able to churn these out like 10 a year, every year, decade after decade, because clearly, if that was the case, I don't see how we don't learn how to build them better, faster, and more efficiently. But that's not what we've been doing, obviously.That's right. It's not. Even when I say with Vogtle, you had to stand back up the whole supply chain, you had to retrain the workforce, so there was a lot of learning in that process, even though, too, we did recognize on that plant you need to have designs very well finalized and standardized as well. One of the problems we realized from the buildout of the 90-something plants that we have now is no two plants were ever that similar. Everyone wanted to make a tweak in their plant, so we never got to where we had standardized designs. So I think now that we're getting that trained workforce, getting the supply chain up there, and our vendors are really saying, “We're doing standardized plants. If someone else wants to make a tweak on this plant, they have to go somewhere else,” that people are going to go with standardized designs so we can really replicate these and get that cost benefit from it. The challenges that you brought up, we have to overcome, and I think we're set up now to be able to overcome that. I appreciate all the effort that went into building Units 3 and 4 at Vogtle. We've got enough benefit from that learning there and hopefully build very soon here.There's a world where we have tripled our nuclear generating capacity, as Secretary Granholm said. Can that be a world where we get all our nuclear power from light water nuclear reactors, or must there be different kinds of reactors? You mentioned the small modular reactors, and I've interviewed startups doing microreactors, I don't know, maybe they'll be used to power data centers, but can that world of greatly increased nuclear generation, even with improvements in light water reactors, must there be different kinds of reactors?I wouldn't say “must.” I think there will be. I think we will have that variability. I think we will still have large plants being built. I think maybe five years ago you wouldn't hear that people were talking about building gigawatt-sizes plants again. I think we'll have the gigawatt-size plants, we'll have the small modular reactors that are water-cooled, but I think we will get some of those advanced reactors out there: the Generation IV reactors, the sodium-cooled fast reactors that have the capacity to be able to burn waste better and also increase the sustainability of the amount of fuel they use. I think you'll also have the high-temperature gas reactors that are helium-cooled, that use TRISO fuel. You'll have those because we need to not only decarbonize the electricity sector, we've got to decarbonize the industrial sector. That's much more challenging, and the high temperatures that can be provided from those reactors will help us in that decarbonization process. So I think we will have a mixture out there. There are cases where the Gen IV systems are going to be better than the gigawatt-sized plants for the needs that are out there, but large power plants are going to be needed as well. Especially, like you say, you bring up the data centers, the amount of growth that we're hearing for electricity right now, I think again, we'll see gigawatt-sized plants will be needed to be able to meet that growth.Yeah, I tell you, nothing frustrates me more than reading about what AI could perhaps do for our economy and then having people say, “Well, but we know we can't do it because we can't supply the power” or “We can't supply enough clean power,” I mean, well then it'd be sure great to have more nuclear energy. And I wonder, as you sort of tick off some of the potential advances and new kinds of reactors, maybe I look backward too much, but I can't help but wonder what nuclear reactors would be like today, where we would be today, maybe we would already have fusion reactors had we proceeded with this kind of momentum every decade since 1980. It drives me crazy, and you're a nuclear engineer, that must drive you crazy.It does, I've been doing this . . . my first job in the nuclear industry was almost 40 years ago when I was still in college, and there have definitely been ups and downs in funding. In fact, there were some periods where there was almost zero research and development dollars spent in the government on nuclear energy. Luckily, though, the thing that we have is, under the four presidential administrations, there's been a real steady climb in the recognition of the importance of nuclear, and the funding to support it. So I'm happy that we have had this period that goes back to the early 2000s that's been really steady growth in recognition of nuclear. If we would've not had some of those laws in the late '80s and '90s, yeah, we could probably be further ahead, especially on some of the advanced technologies. Because yes, some of those advanced technologies started on research that was back in the '50s, '60s and '70s: the sodium-cooled fast reactor, the molten salt reactor, all of those were based on R&D that we did back in the early days, as well.Next-generation policy (17:38)Which leads me to this question: You work for the government. I work for a public policy think tank, so of course I'm going to think about: Given where we are today, what government needs to do going forward, both on the R&D front and on the regulatory front, are we doing enough basic research for whatever the next, or the next next generation of nuclear is, and do we now have the kind regulatory framework we need for that next generation of reactors?I'll go to the research one first—and I should note, my background is, I'm an R&D person, I came out of the national labs, so of course we always need more research and development. But that said, we have been blessed by funding from Congress and the administration that there's a significant amount of money for research and development in the United States. And I'll say that's good, because the one thing I will note, I do believe innovation in the US, as far as the nuclear technology, we are the best. The technologies that we're developing and our vendors are deploying it, really, it is the cutting edge technology, so it's good we have that R&D, and it's important, as you know, we need to continue to have it to move forward on that next generation of technologies and continue to make improvements on the technologies out there. So I think we have a good research base.There's some infrastructure that we still need if we start deploying, say, when we mentioned that sodium-cooled fast reactor, we don't have a testing capability for that type of system. We shut down our last testing system on a fast reactor in 1994. We would probably need some additional infrastructure. But again, we have a pretty good base. And I'll say that also on the regulatory side. We do have a pretty good base as well. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is obviously focused on light water reactors throughout its history, but they've actually been doing a good job at being able to work with some of the developers. We have three entities out there that are working on Generation IV reactors. TerraPower did submit their construction authorization to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and they've accepted it, so they're working well with them, even though they have a water-based system. Hopefully X-energy, who's doing a high-temperature gas reactor, working with the government and all, as well, will be moving forward, as well. And we've had a third that's working in the molten salt space, a molten salt-cooled reactor that has already received a construction permit to go forward on a prototype reactor, a Kairos company.I'm sure there's got to be reforms still on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and make sure that we are timely and responding to license applications, but they are moving in the right direction. There's been a lot of interface with various laws, whether it's the NEICA (Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act), or NEIMA (Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act), two bills that were passed a little while back looking at reforming. And I think there still needs to be improvements and still need to be increase in the resource and capacity of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, but they're heading in the right direction.We have a good regulator, and that's one of the things that helps us make sure we feel that we can deploy this technology safely here, but also helps us in exporting our technology, where we can say, “Our technology has been licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,” which has such a high view externally in other countries, that helps us. So I want them to continue to be that safe regulator, but again, they are continuing to work to improve and streamline the process. Hopefully we get toward where we're standardizing, that we don't have to have a lot of interface and we don't — that'll come to the utilities, too — we don't make changes once we've got something approved, so we hopefully can speed up the process from the utility side, and all is well.Human capital (21:48)Are we going to turn out enough nuclear engineers? I imagine that, for a while, that probably seemed like a hard sell to someone who had an interest in science and engineering, to be in this industry versus some others. Probably a little easier sell; are we going to have enough people going into that to build all these reactors?We are going to need to continue to increase it. We're already seeing the uptick, though, in that area. I'll note: Our office, the office of Nuclear Energy, we've really — going back to the 2010 timeframe — really recognized that we needed to do more in that area, so we actually started investing almost 20 percent of our R&D budget to the universities to hopefully foster that next generation. And in fact, this year we just hit the mark where we've now spent $1 billion since the start of those programs on the universities to make sure we're doing R&D there and getting that next generation of folks out there. It's something that we've got to continue to focus on to make sure that we do. Because yeah, if we triple, it's going to need a lot more nuclear engineers. But I also note, the thing I'm concerned about also is making sure we have the right trades and all, as well. If we're building these plants, making sure you have the welders, the pipe fitters, and all, that's going to be a big challenge, as well, especially if we're going to start building, say, 10 plants a year. That's a lot of people out there.Fusion forecast (23:12)I'm excited about the prospects for nuclear fusion, and I've talked to people at startups, and it has probably looked as promising as it ever has. How promising is it? How should I think about it as being part of our energy solution going forward, given where we're at? In fact, there are no commercial nuclear fusion reactors right now. Obviously people at startups give a lot of optimistic forecasts. How should I even think about that as being a partial solution in the coming decades? How do you look at it, at least?I think it can be part of the solution in the coming decades. I think some of the changes that's taken place, especially over the last two years where there is more of a change to focus on, not fusion as a science program, but fusion as deployment, as an energy producer, you look at it as an applied energy. I think that's an important change that's occurred over the last two years, and the fusion programs within the Department of Energy are much more focused to that. It's similar to what's happened somewhat with fission. Fission, about 15 years ago, it was government-driven, and you pull along industry, until about 15 years ago you started having industry investing a lot of money and pulling along the government. You're now starting to see that happen in fusion, where people are doing a lot of a private investment, they're pulling along the government, and the government's working to see, how can we use the resources of the government to enable it? So I think it will happen. I don't think fusion is going to be producing electricity to the grid this decade, but I think the vision that's been put forth by the government is their bold, decade-old vision to have a fusion pilot facility sometime within the decade. I think that is feasible. So maybe before the 2050s you can start having fusion generating some of our electricity. I'm a fission person at my heart, but I think fusion is, we're getting much more focused on moving it forward as an electricity source, and that'll help it be able to be deployed sometime here in our lifetime.Faster, Please! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Micro ReadsHow Elon Musk and SpaceX Plan to Colonize Mars - NYTWhat happened to the artificial-intelligence revolution? - Economist The EV trade war between China and the West heats up - Economist Defeated by A.I., a Legend in the Board Game Go Warns: Get Ready for What's Next - NYTPfizer pins hopes on daily pill to crack market for weight-loss drugs - FTRise of the Restaurant Robots: Chipotle, Sweetgreen and Others Bet on Automation - WSJSaudi Arabia's Trillion-Dollar Makeover Faces Funding Cutbacks - BbergAI Spending: Goldman Strategists Say Big Tech's Splurge Worries Investors - BbergIt's Time for AI to Start Making Money for Businesses. Can It? - WSJFaster, Please! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. 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Zero Trust has revolutionized the way agencies everywhere are securing their networks, and this week on Feds at the Edge, we talk with titans in the field, including John Kindervag, Chief Evangelist with Illumio, who in 2010 coined the phrase “zero trust model.”  We delve into this stricter cybersecurity program where identity leads in the guideposts in defending today's cyber landscape.  Dr. Robert Roser, CISO with the Idaho National Laboratory agrees, “Without identity, nothing else matters.”     We also discuss the larger-than-life landscape that agencies are tasked with protecting. Sean Connelly, Federal Zero Trust Architect with CISA reminds listeners, while most know the big three cloud providers, there are over 300. Limiting our understanding to “the main and the plain” could lead to trouble. La Monte R. Yarborough, Acting DCIO, CISO and Executive Director, Office of Information Security, HHS, shares HHS is tasked with protecting 1200+ networks every day.        

In today's episode, we explore the widespread deployment of the open-source Android malware 'Rafel RAT,' its exploitation by threat actors like APT-C-35 (DoNot Team), and its impact on outdated devices, particularly Android versions 11 and older. We also explore the influence network CopyCop, potentially aligned with the Russian government, which has pivoted its focus to the 2024 US elections using AI-generated content and fake journalist personas. Lastly, we cover the Energy Department's cybersecurity guidelines for suppliers and end users to combat rising threats in the manufacturing sector, and the growing trend of fake data breaches, exemplified by the Europcar incident, where hackers manipulated generative AI to create counterfeit customer data. Video Episode: https://youtu.be/kU4OOHtB7cM Learn more: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/rafel-rat-targets-outdated-android-phones-in-ransomware-attacks/ https://www.recordedfuture.com/copycop-expands-to-cover-us-elections-target-political-leaders https://www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/energy-department-cybersecurity-manufacturing-supply-chain-best-practices/719612/ https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2024/06/24/faking-data-breaches/ 00:00 Intro 01:11 Rafel RAT Exploits Outdated Android Devices 04:02 Why Are Hackers Faking Data Breaches? 08:07 CopyCop Targets 2024 US Elections with AI Thanks to Jered Jones for providing the music for this episode. https://www.jeredjones.com/ Logo Design by https://www.zackgraber.com/ Tags: Rafel RAT, Android, Malware, Ransomware, Cybersecurity, Open-source, Telegram, Cybercriminals, Attack, Outdated devices, Governments, High-profile organizations, CopyCop, Russian influence network, AI, Political content, Fake journalist personas, US elections, Manipulation, U.S. Critical Manufacturing, Cyberattack, Cybersecurity guidelines, Energy Department, Idaho National Laboratory, Europcar, Data breach, Generative AI, Hoax, Cybercriminals Search Phrases: How to protect Android from Rafel RAT malware Ransomware attacks using Rafel RAT Russian influence network targeting 2024 elections AI-generated political content on new websites Cybersecurity guidelines for U.S. manufacturing Europcar data breach hoax Detecting fake data breaches with AI Cyberattack frequency in critical manufacturing Steps to counter Russian influence networks New cybersecurity measures by Energy Department

Dr. John Wagner is the President of Battelle Energy Alliance and Director of the Idaho National Laboratory or INL. INL is one of 17 national labs in the United States and leads the nation in work on advanced nuclear research. INL boasts a rich legacy in the narrative of nuclear energy, marked by its pivotal role in producing the inaugural usable electricity from nuclear sources on its premises. Dozens of reactors have been built at INL during its decades of operation. Dr. Wagner has been with INL since 2016 and has been director of the lab since 2020. Prior to that, he was the division director at the Reactor and Nuclear Services division at Oak Ridge National Lab. He has a PhD in nuclear engineering from Penn State University and has spent his career working to advance nuclear energy innovation. In our conversation, we cover the history of INL, its key priorities, current projects under development, and Dr. Wagner's vision for our nuclear future.In this episode, we cover: [2:00] DOE National Labs Overview[5:24] Introduction to Idaho National Laboratory[12:14] Current projects & reactors at INL, including Advanced Test Reactor (ATR)[14:10] INL's upcoming projects: MARVEL, PELE[15:39] How INL supports private firms in nuclear tech development[18:40] End-to-end reactor devolment cycle, e.g., MARVEL[26:57] How entrepreneurs can collaborate with INL[31:17] Collaboration with NRC, support for regulatory development and training[33:07] INL's involvement in fusion research[34:19] John's focus on nuclear fission, U.S. rebuilding[36:05] Future reactor mix: large-scale, modular, advancedResources Mentioned:Admiral Rickover's 'Paper Reactor' memoThe Most Important Nuclear Reactor (You've Never Heard of)Episode recorded on May 17, 2024 (Published on June 10, 2024) Get connected with MCJ: Jason Jacobs X / LinkedInCody Simms X / LinkedInMCJ Podcast / Collective / YouTube*If you liked this episode, please consider giving us a review! You can also reach us via email at content@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Candace Wood, COO of Everpoint Services, along with Michael McCarty and Megan Culler from Idaho National Lab, discuss their collaboration at Little Pringle Wind Farm to conduct cybersecurity research and testing. The episode delves into the critical importance of addressing cybersecurity vulnerabilities in wind energy infrastructure to ensure grid resiliency and energy security. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly email update on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard's StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary Barnes' YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! Pardalote Consulting - https://www.pardaloteconsulting.comWeather Guard Lightning Tech - www.weatherguardwind.comIntelstor - https://www.intelstor.com Allen Hall: Welcome to the special edition of the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast. I'm your host, Allen Hall, along with my co host, Joel Saxum. This podcast has an interesting story behind it. Our first guest today is Candace Wood, Chief Operating Officer at Everpoint Services, which is based in Texas. Candace purchased the Little Pringle Wind Farm at an auction. Little Pringle Wind Farm is outside of Texas. Amarillo, Texas, and buying a wind farm at auction doesn't happen very often. And this is where the story takes an interesting turn. Candace and Everpoint made a decision about how to use this wind farm. Everpoint connected with the Idaho National Laboratory, cybersecurity experts, to use a portion of the turbines for cybersecurity. Research and testing. So from the Idaho National Lab is Michael McCarty, who is a cybersecurity research specialist and Megan Culler, who is a power engineer specializing in cybersecurity and resiliency, also from the Idaho National Laboratory. Megan, Michael, and Candice, welcome to the show. Candace Wood: Thank you. Thanks for having us. Michael McCarty: Thank you. Allen Hall: Alright, so let's start off with a little prequel and figure out how Candace ended up buying a wind farm. So you were at an auction Candace? Can you describe what happened where you decided to put down some money on a wind farm? Candace Wood: Everpoint Services, we are a end of life services company for renewables. So we primarily focus on decommissioning and demolition of wind turbines as well as solar assets. And we'd heard about this wind farm that had been abandoned since about So I was at the auction in August of 2017. Small farm, 10 units originally 2 megawatts each and heard that it was going up for auction. The county had seized the asset to try and recover some back taxes. I tuned into the option really with the intention of finding out who was going to purchase it and then pitching our services to them. Hey, we can come in and help you cut these things down. So I'm listening to the auction and the price point is going once going twice and I'm thinking gosh, that's Really not a lot of money. I mean we're talking, five figures and I thought well, let me just throw out a bid there and see what happens so I threw out a bid that was just slightly above what was about to be the winning bid and on behold I One, I bought the wind farm, so it was somewhat impulsive decision, which was both terrifying and exciting. In the immediate aftermath, what was interesting was once we looked into it a little bit more, we discovered that the interconnection agreement at the site was still in good standing. And once I actually finally got out there to look at it, because I did purchase the site unseen, I Never actually looked at it before. Once we got out there and looked at it, I thought, these turbines, they're not in such terrible condition, all things considered. And so we started looking into, okay what could we do? Maybe did we want to repower it?

The worlds of nuclear energy and reality TV collide in this episode with Survivor alum and nuclear engineer, J'Tia Hart! As Director of Nuclear Non-Proliferation at Idaho National Laboratory, J'Tia is paving the way for the future of nuclear energy all while championing diversity and representation in STEM. She shares her unique journey with Mary and Jordan as they chat about energy security and the exciting future of the nuclear industry!J'Tia Hart: Website | YouTube | LinkedInVisit us at www.nei.org/fissionary.Music used in this episode was created by Beat Mekanik

As the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and its impacts continue to unfold, the impact in various aspects of the energy sector become even more apparent and tangible. One key aspect as been in the emerging world of nuclear power uprating with hydrogen cogeneration. The teams at the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory has been leading the charge in studying these efforts, particularly with the publication of "Assessing the Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on Nuclear Plant Power Uprate and Hydrogen Cogeneration." Three key authors to that study join this latest episode of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast in Svetlana Lawrence (Risk-Informed Systems Analysis Pathway Lead), Frederick Joseck (Hydrogen Infrastructure and Analysis Manager), and Levi Larsen (Energy Economist). These key leaders join the show to share with and explain to podcast host Jason Price and produce Matt Chester their study's findings. In this engaging dialogue, these experts shed light on the study's purpose and key findings, the exciting prospects of hydrogen integration post-IRA, and an economic perspective that unravels the implications of these findings for utility stakeholders. Tune in as we uncover not only the challenges but also the vast opportunities presented by this groundbreaking research. Key Links: Energy CentralPost with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-158-decoding-iras-unlocking-nuclear-uprating-and-hydrogen-cogeneration Take this poll to impact the future of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdI1mewtAbCxlaqTLmzHpj_CnlIKdiREULf0dEDs2M5MlFyeA/viewform Assessing the Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on Nuclear Plant Power Uprate and Hydrogen Cogeneration: https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2007297 Idaho National Laboratory on Energy Central: https://energycentral.com/o/idaho-national-labs Energy Central Profile for Svetlana Lawrence: https://energycentral.com/member/profile/svetlana-lawrence/about Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/ Ask a Question to Our Future Guests: Do you have a burning question for the utility executives and energy industry thought leaders that we feature each week on the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast? Do you want to hear your voice on a future episode? Well starting in 2024, we're offering you that opportunity! Head to this link where you can leave us a recorded message, including a question you're eager to have answered on a future episode of the podcast. We'll listen through them, pick out the right guests in our upcoming lineup to address them, and you'll hear yourself as a part of the conversation! Energy Central on SpeakPipe: www.speakpipe.com/EnergyCentralPodcast

Listen to our Morning Headlines today to learn more about some construction going on in Idaho Falls and what to look out for, a couple of new bills being passed concerning artificial intelligence, and the three new members of the Idaho National Laboratory.

Brian is a fascinating individual and such a fun conversationalist. He owns Acton Academy Rexburg, a learner driven elementary school that uses Socratic discussions and self paced challenges to become lifelong learners. Brian also runs a YouTube channel called Converting EV and teaches the ins and outs of converting traditional vehicles to modern battery power. Brian has an incredible past as a Research and Development intern for Varga Products, an Electronics Engineer for the United States Air Force and a Systems Engineer for Idaho National Laboratory.

These are your Morning Headlines... Rexburg's annual Lights ON! Christmas celebration kickoff is tonight. Also, this Friday non-residents can purchase license and tags for the 2024 deer and elk hunting season. Lastly, the Idaho National Laboratory is opening its 4th annual Bright Future in Energy Scholarship competition for 2024.

In today's podcast we cover four crucial cyber and technology topics, including: 1.        Idaho National Laboratory targeted by hacktivists, stolen data leaked 2.        Myanmar military operations to target telecommunication fraud dens 3.        Crypto firm hit with 26 million USD loss after API abuse 4.        U.S. and Binance reach deal after Binance CEO pleads guilty to crimes   I'd love feedback, feel free to send your comments and feedback to  | cyberandtechwithmike@gmail.com

Aaron McAdow, Head of US Marketing DevelopmentRetired US Army Lieutenant Colonel Aaron McAdow, who has more than 20 years of experience in US Special Operations and other Joint Strategic DoD programs. Aaron currently serves as Codeac Solution's Head of US Market Development and advises on technology integration to meet operational requirementsBen Hall, CEO and PresidentA former Australian Army Officer, Ben is the CEO and President of Codeac Solutions. Ben previously held executive roles at publicly listed companies and senior advisory roles in strategy consulting, he has experience across defense, politics and public sector industries globally.Catherine Riddle PhD, InventorThe co-inventor of Codeac Solutions, Cathy is a senior research scientist at Idaho National Laboratory and has 24 years' experience in radiochemistry research for nuclear energy and national securityEPISODE NOTES:Follow NucleCast on Twitter at @NucleCastEmail comments and story suggestions to NucleCast@anwadeter.orgSubscribe to NucleCast podcastRate the show

Podcast: Critical Assets PodcastEpisode: CIE: Architecting Infrastructure ImmunityPub date: 2023-11-09In this episode, we take a deep dive into the world of Cyber Informed Engineering (CIE), joined by Ginger Wright, Program Manager at Idaho National Laboratory. This episode unpacks CIE's strategic efforts to integrate cybersecurity into the very fabric of engineering critical infrastructure. We discuss the evolution of CIE and how it's transforming the approach to system design. We cover the synergy between engineers and cybersecurity experts and the implementation of engineering-based mitigations. Get insights on building resilience into critical systems from the ground up.The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Patrick Miller, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.

Podcast: Critical Assets PodcastEpisode: CIE: Architecting Infrastructure ImmunityPub date: 2023-11-09In this episode, we take a deep dive into the world of Cyber Informed Engineering (CIE), joined by Ginger Wright, Program Manager at Idaho National Laboratory. This episode unpacks CIE's strategic efforts to integrate cybersecurity into the very fabric of engineering critical infrastructure. We discuss the evolution of CIE and how it's transforming the approach to system design. We cover the synergy between engineers and cybersecurity experts and the implementation of engineering-based mitigations. Get insights on building resilience into critical systems from the ground up.The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Patrick Miller, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.

Today on the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast, we take a front-row seat to the rapidly evolving world of hydrogen technology and its promising partnership with nuclear energy. In celebration of the upcoming National Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Day on October 8, this episode dives into the advancements in hydrogen tech and specifically what leaders within the Department of Energy ecosystem are doing to unlock the opportunities it presents for the nuclear sector. This episode's guest is just such a leader in Richard Boardman, Laboratory Relationship Manager for Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technology Office at Idaho National Laboratory. In this episode, Richard dives deep into INL's pursuit of innovative hybrid energy systems, offering a fresh perspective on the hydrogen economy's potential and challenges. From exploring INL's unique role in the national lab ecosystem to unpacking the reasons behind nuclear plants' hesitation towards integrating hydrogen strategies, listen in as Richard shares with podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester a masterclass on the transformative power of collaboration in energy and the exciting future awaiting the nuclear and hydrogen convergence. Key Links: Energy Central Post with Full Episode Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-141-going-nuclear-national-hydrogen-and-fuel-cell-day-richard-boardman Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

1) Piyush's upbringing in New Delhi, his background in robotics, and how it all lead him to the nuclear industry 2) Some of the interesting projects of Piyush's career and his admirable passion for working with and mentoring students 3) Current events in the nuclear industry, some news from Idaho National Laboratory, and a quick dive into energy storage 4) Piyush's experience of being named Asian American Engineer of the Year for 2022, as well as a few points about nuclear medicine and our nuclear energy future

The Idaho National Laboratory will receive 4 million dollars in federal funds, Madison Memorial Hospital in Rexburg saw a record low for patient admissions on July 4th and the Museum of Church History for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has opened a new exhibit.

Modern UFO investigation did not begin with the AATIP, but instead goes back to Project SIGN, GRUDGE, and BLUEBOOK starting in the late 1940s. Recent reports from the U.S. military and pentagon date back to at least the second World War with incredible detail about “discs” even before Kenneth Arnold accidentally coined the term “flying saucer” in June, 1947, after witnessing UFOs near Mount Rainier. Even Roswell was pre-dated by Arnold's experience, and his was pre-dated by Maury Island three days before in Washington State. All of the incidences took place in the Pacific Northwest, just west of Arnold's home in Boise, Idaho, a state that today has the highest per-capita rating of UFO sightings. Knowing that these objects have traditionally been attracted to National Labs during the Manhattan Project, nuclear missile silos, and ICBM tests, it makes sense that Idaho would be home to much lore considering that it is also home to the Idaho National Laboratory which built the first nuclear power generator, powered the first city with nuclear power, and experimented with new nuclear technologies. Now the INL has been contracted to build micro-reactors for space travel called MARVEL, which shares a synchro-mystical connection to comic book movies dealign with multi-dimensional travel - the very realm many believe the UFO originated. In parallel is the Oak Ridge National Laboratory publicly working on breaking into the ‘mirror-verse' while building an ion-accelerator to conduct similar research to CERN.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5328407/advertisement

This week, the Buzz presents a recorded session from our first ever Climate Change Summit, held on April 17th. This fireside chat features Edward Saltzberg, Executive Director of the Security and Sustainability Forum and Andy Bochman, Senior Grid Strategist at the Idaho National Laboratory. These two experts discuss vulnerability of infrastructure in a world that must adjust to climate change, geopolitics, and domestic terrorism. They acknowledge that traditional infrastructure is no longer sufficient to withstand the changing climate, as well as the political and security threats of the modern world.Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform to never miss an episode! For more from ACT-IAC, follow us on LinkedIn or visit http://www.actiac.org.

Power and energy security strategist Emma Stewart is always on the lookout for what's next in the U.S. electric grid, whether that be an influx of renewable energy or cyberattacks by malicious hackers. Her engineering background helps her understand how things work so she can break them to build them again, but stronger. Emma has announced she's joining Idaho National Laboratory as Chief Power Grid Scientist and Research Strategist in the lab's National and Homeland Security Directorate, putting her on the forefront of efforts to keep Americans' electricity networks resilient in the face of cyberthreats. Emma previously worked as Chief Scientist for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which represents the nation's roughly 900 non-profit electric co-ops. Because rural infrastructure can lack the same level of funding or support compared to bigger electric companies, she often had to puzzle over how to fortify distributed resources from nation-state cyberthreats.----------Listen to this episode to hear more about: * How cyber mutual assistance programs can help level the playing field in the fight against adversaries * Emma's cancer survivorship * Takeaways from the S4 industrial cybersecurity conference in Miami Beach, where Emma was a speaker

Andy Bochman is the Senior Grid Strategist-Defender for Idaho National Laboratory's National and Homeland Security directorate. In this role, Andy provides strategic guidance on topics at the intersection of grid security and climate resilience to INL leadership as well as senior U.S. and international government and industry leaders. Andy is a frequent speaker, writer, and trainer who has testified before the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on energy infrastructure cybersecurity issues and before FERC on the maturity of smart grid cybersecurity standards. He has had recurring conversations on grid security matters with the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the National Security Council. In this OODAcast we discuss Andy's most recent book, Countering Cyber Sabotage: Introducing Consequence-based Cyber-Informed Engineering. This book introduces INL's new approach for defending against top-tier cyber adversaries. Watch as we learn how a hockey player transformed into a cybersecurity champion and author of one of the most important books for engineering for critical infrastructure defense.

The Marshall public library is hosting its 'Garden to Give' program again, there is a new outdoors for youth scholarship aiming to help teen girls get outside more and Idaho National Laboratory is inviting people in Eastern Idaho to attend local screenings of 'Nuclear Now'.

Happy Friday! These are your Evening Headlines for April 28, 2023... Idaho National Laboratory is inviting those in Eastern Idaho to come to screenings of the film, "Nuclear Now." Plus, student reporter, Celeste Simmons take a look at what the Mac Lab on campus has to offer. Then, there are still spots available for the For the Strength of Youth Conferences of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Podcast: The PrOTect OT Cybersecurity Podcast (LS 28 · TOP 10% what is this?)Episode: Roya Gordon: Secure Connections - Why Human Interaction is Key to OT SecurityPub date: 2023-04-13About Roya Gordon: Roya Gordon is a trailblazing cybersecurity expert, inspiring young women and people of color to pursue their passions in technology. With an impressive background that includes serving as an intelligence specialist in the U.S. Navy and working at Idaho National Laboratory and Accenture, Roya now holds the position of OT/IoT Security Research Evangelist at Nozomi Networks. Roya is also the founder of Steps2STEM, a company that aims to help young women and people of color break into the cybersecurity industry. With a Masters in Global Affairs focused on cyberwarfare from Florida International University, Roya is committed to sharing her insights and experiences to help others succeed.In this episode, Aaron and Roya Gordon discuss:The power of working together to protect our economy and infrastructure in cybersecurityWhy knowing the differences between IT and OT environments matters for industrial safetyCollaborative strategies for securing critical infrastructure in complex industrial environmentsHopes and concerns around the mainstream adoption of OT networks and the impact of AI on the industry's workforceKey Takeaways:People with different roles in cybersecurity, such as vendors, consultants, and asset owners, cooperate to safeguard critical infrastructure by utilizing their diverse abilities and viewpoints, ensuring victory over cyber threats.It's not possible to combine IT products and OT environments due to various reasons, and this creates a risk for businesses, as demonstrated in the Colonial Pipeline incident.Collaboration between consultants and vendors is key to securing critical infrastructure, where consultants provide guidance and vendors offer integrated solutions to meet policy requirements.Roya believes that in the next five to 10 years, OT will become more mainstream, but worries about AI replacing human jobs in the industry, stressing the importance of adapting and continuously learning through emerging technologies to maintain relevance. "We talk about ChatGPT and how threat actors can use it for bad, but a lot of people are using it for good too. I just think it gets a little bit dangerous where we want to remove the human element out of things and just trust AI because everything has bugs." — Roya Gordon Connect with Roya Gordon: Website: https://www.nozominetworks.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roya-gordon-16245437/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoyaGordonThe Importance of Physical Access Endpoint Detection: https://www.nozominetworks.com/blog/importance-of-physical-access-endpoint-detection/2022 2H Security Report: https://www.nozominetworks.com/blog/nozomi-networks-researchers-take-a-deep-look-into-the-ics-threat-landscape/Connect with Aaron:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronccrowLearn more about Industrial Defender:Website: https://www.industrialdefender.com/podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/industrial-defender-inc/Twitter: https://twitter.com/iDefend_ICSYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@industrialdefender7120Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Aaron Crow, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.

About Roya Gordon: Roya Gordon is a trailblazing cybersecurity expert, inspiring young women and people of color to pursue their passions in technology. With an impressive background that includes serving as an intelligence specialist in the U.S. Navy and working at Idaho National Laboratory and Accenture, Roya now holds the position of OT/IoT Security Research Evangelist at Nozomi Networks. Roya is also the founder of Steps2STEM, a company that aims to help young women and people of color break into the cybersecurity industry. With a Masters in Global Affairs focused on cyberwarfare from Florida International University, Roya is committed to sharing her insights and experiences to help others succeed.In this episode, Aaron and Roya Gordon discuss:The power of working together to protect our economy and infrastructure in cybersecurityWhy knowing the differences between IT and OT environments matters for industrial safetyCollaborative strategies for securing critical infrastructure in complex industrial environmentsHopes and concerns around the mainstream adoption of OT networks and the impact of AI on the industry's workforceKey Takeaways:People with different roles in cybersecurity, such as vendors, consultants, and asset owners, cooperate to safeguard critical infrastructure by utilizing their diverse abilities and viewpoints, ensuring victory over cyber threats.It's not possible to combine IT products and OT environments due to various reasons, and this creates a risk for businesses, as demonstrated in the Colonial Pipeline incident.Collaboration between consultants and vendors is key to securing critical infrastructure, where consultants provide guidance and vendors offer integrated solutions to meet policy requirements.Roya believes that in the next five to 10 years, OT will become more mainstream, but worries about AI replacing human jobs in the industry, stressing the importance of adapting and continuously learning through emerging technologies to maintain relevance. "We talk about ChatGPT and how threat actors can use it for bad, but a lot of people are using it for good too. I just think it gets a little bit dangerous where we want to remove the human element out of things and just trust AI because everything has bugs." — Roya Gordon Connect with Roya Gordon: Website: https://www.nozominetworks.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roya-gordon-16245437/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoyaGordonThe Importance of Physical Access Endpoint Detection: https://www.nozominetworks.com/blog/importance-of-physical-access-endpoint-detection/2022 2H Security Report: https://www.nozominetworks.com/blog/nozomi-networks-researchers-take-a-deep-look-into-the-ics-threat-landscape/Connect with Aaron:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronccrowLearn more about Industrial Defender:Website: https://www.industrialdefender.com/podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/industrial-defender-inc/Twitter: https://twitter.com/iDefend_ICSYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@industrialdefender7120Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

1) Yasir's background, his first internship in the industry, and how Fukushima shaped the start of his nuclear energy career 2) A deep dive into the microreactor work that eventually lead Yasir to Idaho National Laboratory 3) A discussion of the MARVEL project and what it stands for - both the acronym and the mission for the project itself 4) Yasir explores the mindsets of collaboration and competition in the nuclear industry

Ms. Robyn Hutchins is currently a doctoral candidate in the Nuclear Engineering department at Kansas State University studying radiation detection under the direction of Professor Douglas McGregor. Within her DTRA funded doctoral work, Ms. Hutchins has successfully designed, fabricated, and characterized many types of radiation detectors that allow for overt or covert monitoring by soldiers and emergency responders. Past work performed by Ms. Hutchins at The Idaho National Laboratory has led to the development of an artificially intelligent radiation spectroscopy system that is currently deployed on the international space station

Host Llewellyn King discusses President Biden's new cybersecurity strategy and the threats to industrial information and operational technologies with experts from 1898 & Co., a consultancy, and the Idaho National Laboratory. Guests: Mark Mattei, Director, Industrial Cybersecurity for Managed Security Services, 1898 & Co; Victor Atkins, Director, Executive Advisory Services for Industrial Cybersecurity, 1898 & Co.; Andrew Bochman, Senior Grid Strategist, National & Homeland Security, Idaho National Laboratory

Logan Browning is a 2021 BYUI graduate. He completed two internships while in school. One with Hughes General Contractors in Salt Lake City as a field laborer and another with the Idaho National Laboratory as a Critical Infrastructure Analyst. After graduation he accepted a job with the Idaho National Laboratory as a full time Critical Infrastructure Analyst looking at how to be more resilient against cyber and physical attacks. Since recent is Digital Twin Visualization Scientist and Industrial Metaverse Functional Area Lead of Digital Engineering at INL. He currently supports digital engineering for Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity Division, the Beartooth Nuclear Material Testbed and NNSA digital twin programs. His focus is on Building Information Modeling, critical infrastructure and extended reality, which includes virtual, augmented and mixed reality. He currently pursuing an MBA in Construction Management from Boise State.

Mark Peters is the Executive Vice President for National Laboratory Management and Operations at Battelle Memorial Institute with responsibilities for governance and oversight of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security national laboratories for which Battelle has a significant lab management role. Previously, he was the director of Idaho National Laboratory and president of Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC.

Morning Headlines For January 30th 2023 covers road closures in Idaho due to poor weather, an update on the case involving two men responsible for electrical substation attacks, and a new Campus Master Planner at Idaho National Laboratory.

An interview with Idaho national Laboratories campus master planner, Brad Cramer, where he talks about applying his background to his new position and the importance of embracing change. https://www.byui.edu/radio/brad-cramer

"We got very good at testing things to failure" Virginia “Ginger” Wright is the Energy Cybersecurity Portfolio Manager for Idaho National Laboratory's Cybercore division within its National and Homeland Security directorate. She leads programs focused on cybersecurity and resilience of critical infrastructure for the Department of Energy, DARPA [Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency] and other government agencies. Her recent research areas include cyber supply chain for operational technology components,  instant response, critical infrastructure modeling and simulation and nuclear cybersecurity. Some quotes from this episode:"Idaho National Laboratory is the only national laboratory that is focused on nuclear energy. Part of that legacy was in testing what are today normal commercial nuclear installations and understanding where the boundaries of either operational resilience were, or the boundaries of particular material and installation methods that would cause that infrastructure to fail. We have, of course, taken that ability to turn things into failure and use that to develop our own adversary guided thinking about defensive cybersecurity.""In the energy infrastructure, we have devices that are in regular use today that are decades old. In the IT world, I have Patch Tuesday where every week my critical infrastructure is updated. Then after about three years. I toss it and I get another one that is completely and wholly built on the more modern incarnation of technology.  When we think about operational technology, applications, energy or water, we certainly can't re-engineer those systems on that cycle of replacement. So often we may not be able to patch or the technology that we are using is so old that the vendor is now no longer supporting patches.""I think a lot of engineers understand materials that they build with. They understand wood,  concrete,  but they don't often get taught to think about digital systems in the same way they think about materials -  that these systems have stress points and failure points and they can be trusted to a certain level but after that we need to build protections into our system to protect us from the ways that they can fail or be brought to failure by an adversary"

Cybersecurity Awareness Month edition: What do an electric cooperative's internal and operational networks look like to a hacker, and what can co-ops do to tighten their defenses? Hear from Ryan Newlon, NRECA's cybersecurity solutions principal, and Bryan Hatton, a cybersecurity researcher at the Idaho National Laboratory whose work includes “white hat hacking.”

Tim Johnson discusses his article in August's The Leading Edge about real-time electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). Time-lapse electrical imaging has been used for diverse scientific and engineering problems to monitor changes in the subsurface associated with fluid injections, fluid flow, solute transport, phase changes, and other physical and chemical processes. The burgeoning applications of time-lapse electrical imaging underscore its potential to provide valuable, qualitative insight to support the development of conceptual models of subsurface frameworks and processes. Tim and his co-authors posit that the next step in the evolution of time-lapse electrical imaging is autonomous, real-time monitoring, which has the potential to support real-time management decisions and feedback control of subsurface systems. Tim presents a framework for autonomous, real-time electrical imaging. He also shares two case studies of the framework in action and potential areas of development for this work. This forward-looking conversation utilizes machine learning and the latest electrical geophysical instrumentation to highlight what the future can be for hydrogeophysics. Listen to the full archive at https://seg.org/podcast. BIOGRAPHY Dr. Tim C. Johnson is a computational scientist in subsurface geophysical imaging and interpretation related to complex environmental challenges and energy applications. He is nationally and internationally recognized for his work in electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) as a characterization and monitoring technology. He pioneered the development of E4D-RT, a real-time, four-dimensional subsurface imaging software that allows scientists to “see” subsurface processes and solutions in real-time. Tim and his team received a prestigious R&D 100 Award in 2016 for this tool. As a senior research scientist, Tim joined the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in 2010. He worked at Idaho National Laboratory from 2007-2010 and, before that, was a staff engineer at American Geotechnics. Tim is focused on joint inversion of multiple geophysical techniques using parallel computing to improve time-lapse imaging. RELATED LINKS * Tim Johnson, Chris Strickland, Jon Thomle, Fred Day-Lewis, and Roelof Versteeg, (2022), "Autonomous time-lapse electrical imaging for real-time management of subsurface systems," The Leading Edge 41: 520–528. (https://doi.org/10.1190/tle41080520.1) * Frederick D. Day-Lewis and Arpita P. Bathija, (2022), "Introduction to this special section: Hydrogeophysics," The Leading Edge 41: 518–518. (https://doi.org/10.1190/tle41080518.1) * Read the August 2022 special section: Hydrogeophysics (https://library.seg.org/toc/leedff/41/8) Subscribers can read the full articles at https://library.seg.org/, and abstracts are always free. CREDITS SEG produces Seismic Soundoff to benefit its members and the scientific community and to inform the public on the value of geophysics. To show your support for the show, please leave a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It takes less than five seconds to leave a 5-star rating and is the number one action you can take to show your appreciation for this free resource. And follow the podcast while you are on the app to be notified when each new episode releases. Original music created by Zach Bridges. Andrew Geary hosted, edited, and produced this episode for 51 features, LLC. Thank you to the SEG podcast team: Jennifer Cobb, Kathy Gamble, and Ally McGinnis.

Roya Gordon, a Security Research Evangelist at ICS cybersecurity firm Nozomi Networks, started her career as an intelligence specialist in the U.S. Navy. After her time serving, Roya spent time as a Control Systems Cybersecurity Analyst at the Idaho National Laboratory and then took the role of Cyber Threat Intelligence Manager at Accenture. She shares her story after the NSA accepted her and then quickly diverted, creating a new path for Roya to follow. She shares the jobs she went after along the way, leading up to Nozomi Networks and how she wishes to be a trailblazer for young black women everywhere. She hopes to shape young women's minds on what the cybersecurity industry is actually like, in hopes that she can be a figure people look up to.

Roya Gordon, a Security Research Evangelist at ICS cybersecurity firm Nozomi Networks, started her career as an intelligence specialist in the U.S. Navy. After her time serving, Roya spent time as a Control Systems Cybersecurity Analyst at the Idaho National Laboratory and then took the role of Cyber Threat Intelligence Manager at Accenture. She shares her story after the NSA accepted her and then quickly diverted, creating a new path for Roya to follow. She shares the jobs she went after along the way, leading up to Nozomi Networks and how she wishes to be a trailblazer for young black women everywhere. She hopes to shape young women's minds on what the cybersecurity industry is actually like, in hopes that she can be a figure people look up to. We thank Roya for sharing her story.