Fueling the Future in Ithaca
Last week I took a quick swing through San Francisco and then headed to Ithaca for Cornell’s “Fueling the Future: Nuclear Careers & Innovation Summit” (Dec 8). Cold weather, warm reception.
The event itself was legit—well attended, energetic, and surprisingly practical. The vibe wasn’t “nuclear theory seminar.” It was “okay, where does nuclear actually go next?” That’s exactly the conversation I want more of: nuclear beyond electricity, into real industrial problems—process heat, fuels, materials, and the messy interfaces where decarbonization either happens or doesn’t.
The best part: the people (and the follow-ons)
A few highlights that made the trip worth it:
Atkinson Center for Sustainability: I spent a solid chunk of time with folks connected to Atkinson and came away with real follow-on opportunities—including invitations to future events. That matters more than a nice panel applause.
New York energy + policy: I got to know Assemblyman Scott Gray (NY’s 116th District) and members of his staff. He’s strongly pro-nuclear and clearly serious about bipartisan energy policy in New York. One thing that stood out: a strong preference for SMRs in the conversations (as opposed to nostalgia plays like restarting Indian Point).
Labor and deployment reality: I also connected with Joe Peluso of IBEW Local 97, which represents a large share of the nuclear workforce in NY. If you care about actually building things, you talk to labor early—not after you’ve already made a thousand-slide plan.
Why this trip mattered
What I like about Cornell is that it’s not just ideas—it’s ecosystems: students, researchers, policy people, industry, labor, and community all in the same gravitational field. For Earthineering, that’s where the interesting collisions happen. You leave with more than contacts—you leave with angles.
Net: great trip, great signals, and new doors opened.