Uptime Now Ep3: Powering Data Centers with Next‑Gen Nuclear Power Innovation
Feb 25, 2026
Liz Muller, entrepreneur and CEO/co‑founder of Deep Fission, builds underground nuclear reactors to cut cost and speed deployment. She describes mile‑deep reactor designs, DOE pilot acceleration, siting with data centers and utilities, and how AI and conventional fuel streamline engineering and licensing. The conversation focuses on rapid, scalable nuclear options tailored for data center power needs.
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Childhood And France Shaped Her Nuclear Path
- Liz Muller grew up with pro-nuclear influences at home but in anti-nuclear Berkeley, shaping her nuanced view of nuclear power.
- Her time in France normalized nuclear energy and pushed her toward climate solutions, spawning Deep Isolation and Deep Vision.
Underground Boreholes Replace Most Reactor Structures
- Placing a nuclear reactor core a mile underground uses surrounding rock and water as containment, pressure, and cooling, reducing major aboveground structures.
- That approach removes roughly 80% of traditional build cost and can cut construction time from years to months.
Depth Provides Built-In Pressure And Cooling
- A mile-deep borehole provides ~160 atmospheres of pressure and a long water column that mimics pressurized water reactor conditions.
- The vertical water column also serves as heat transfer and emergency core cooling like geothermal systems.