The Energy Impact Center is an American research institute based in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

It primarily advocates for the expansion of

nuclear power Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced b ...

as a

clean energy Clean may refer to: * Cleaning, the process of removing unwanted substances, such as dirt, infectious agents, and other impurities, from an object or environment * Cleanliness, the state of being clean and free from dirt Arts and media Music Al ...

solution to

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

. The organization's research into nuclear power has led it to the development of projects like OPEN100, an open-source platform with blueprints for nuclear power plant design and construction. In 2020, the center spun out Last Energy, a commercial developer aimed at linking investors with agencies looking to build nuclear plants. The center is also responsible for the podcasts, ''

Titans of Nuclear ''Titans of Nuclear'' is an interview podcast developed by the Energy Impact Center. Each episode features interviews led by Bret Kugelmass. Other hosts include Jadwiga Najder, Olubunmi Olajide, and Naomi Senehi. Guests generally include nuclear ...

'' and ''Energy Impact''. It was founded in 2017 by Bret Kugelmass.

History

The Energy Impact Center (EIC) was founded in Washington, D.C. by Bret Kugelmass in 2017. The goal at the organization's outset was to advocate for an increase in nuclear power to help reverse the effects of climate change by 2040. In 2017, Kugelmass began conducting interviews as head of EIC with experts in nuclear energy and related fields for a podcast called ''Titans of Nuclear''. The podcast debuted in January 2018. Over the course of 2018 and 2019, Kugelmass and other members of the EIC team conducted around 1,500 interviews for the podcast and visited over 100 nuclear sites to compile research about the feasibility of nuclear power expansion. In 2019, the center introduced the Nuclear Energy Grand Challenge, a prize competition that asked university students to develop business proposals for mitigating the cost, duration, and risks of power plant construction and maintenance. In February 2020, the EIC introduced two new entities: OPEN100 and Last Energy. The former is an open-source platform that aims to ease the design and construction process of nuclear power plants by providing freely-available blueprints. The latter is a for-profit startup that connects investors with agencies looking to develop nuclear power plants. Last Energy received $3 million in a funding round led by

First Round Capital First Round is a venture capital firm that specializes in providing seed-stage funding to technology companies. Founded by Josh Kopelman Joshua Kopelman is an American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and philanthropist. Kopelman is best ...

at the time of the announcement. In 2021, EIC introduced a second podcast called ''Energy Impact'' that focuses on a broader range of energy-related topics. In July of that year, it was announced that Transcorp Energy in Nigeria had agreed to use EIC's OPEN100 model to construct the country's first nuclear power plants.

Projects

OPEN100

OPEN100 is an open-source platform that publishes blueprints for the design and construction of nuclear power plants. It also provides financing and maintenance details. The initial OPEN100 plans introduced in February 2020 called for a 100-megawatt

pressurized water reactor A pressurized water reactor (PWR) is a type of light-water reactor, light-water nuclear reactor. PWRs constitute the large majority of the world's nuclear power plants (with notable exceptions being the UK, Japan and Canada). In a PWR, the primary ...

that could be built in 18 months at a cost of $300 million (

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

). Regulatory restrictions could increase those numbers in practice. OPEN100 was developed by EIC in partnership with the

United States Department of Energy national laboratories The United States Department of Energy National Laboratories and Technology Centers is a system of facilities and laboratories overseen by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) for scientific and technological research. Sixteen of the sev ...

and other collaborators, including

Framatome Framatome () is a French nuclear reactor business. It is owned by Électricité de France (EDF) (75.5%), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (19.5%), and Assystem (5%). The company first formed in 1958 to license Westinghouse's pressurized water react ...

, the

Electric Power Research Institute EPRI, is an American independent, nonprofit organization that conducts research and development related to the generation, delivery, and use of electricity to help address challenges in the energy industry, including reliability, efficiency, affo ...

, and the U.K.'s

National Nuclear Laboratory The National Nuclear Laboratory (informally NNL, formerly Nexia Solutions) is a UK government owned and operated nuclear services technology provider covering the whole of the nuclear fuel cycle. It is fully customer-funded and operates at six ...

. In July 2021,

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

's Transcorp Energy announced that it would develop nuclear power plants in the country using the OPEN100 model.

Nuclear Energy Grand Challenge

The Nuclear Energy Grand Challenge is a prize competition that was initially envisioned as a series of ongoing contests to develop proposals for mitigating the cost, duration, and risks of nuclear power plant construction and maintenance. The initial challenge, known as "Reimagining Nuclear Waste," took place at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

in 2019 and 2020 and asked students to develop business proposals that offered new solutions for nuclear waste beyond indefinite storage. The winning team was awarded $17,000 for its proposal.

Podcasts

EIC produces two podcasts: ''Titans of Nuclear'' and ''Energy Impact''. ''Titans of Nuclear'' was first launched in January 2018 and generally features one-on-one discussions with nuclear energy experts from various political, scientific, technological, and business backgrounds. The ''Energy Impact'' podcast was launched in March 2021 and features discussions on a broader range of energy-related topics. Both podcasts are primarily hosted by EIC managing director, Bret Kugelmass, but other EIC members serve as occasional co-hosts.

References

{{reflist, 30em

External links

Official websiteOPEN100''Titans of Nuclear''
Nuclear research institutes Research institutes established in 2017 Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C. Energy research institutes