Data Center Revolution Ep 144: Emmet Penney on Nuclear Power and Data Centers: Charting the Future of American Innovation
Mar 24, 2026
Emmet Penney, a senior fellow on energy and infrastructure who writes on nuclear power and grid policy, joins to explore nuclear’s role in powering AI-era data centers. He discusses interconnection bottlenecks, why community buy-in matters more than tech, financing and scale for reactors, and how framing benefits can unlock regional industrial growth.
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Nuclear Achieved Rapid Historical Decarbonization
- Nuclear drove the steepest historical grid decarbonization when countries built many large reactors fast.
- Emmet contrasted renewables' flat impact (compensated by gas) with France's mid-century reactor buildout that dramatically cut emissions.
China Uses Nuclear And Coal In Tandem For Scale
- China combines rapid nuclear build with continued coal to ensure energy scale and reliability.
- Emmet noted China commissions many reactors annually and pairs high-voltage distribution that serves both solar and coal fleets.
Vogtle Overruns Came From Lost Proficiency
- High costs at recent US projects stemmed from immature designs and lost supply-chain proficiency.
- Emmet explains Vogel overrun as a result of incomplete designs and rebuilding supply chains after decades without new builds.
