Here’s why:
When I need a good chuckle, I scroll through posts by nuclear energy influencers on LinkedIn. Two things stand out. First, many of these folks have never actually worked in the nuclear industry. Second, they don’t seem to realize just how futile their efforts are.
During my time at Rosatom (2013-2021), I wasn’t directly involved in nuclear projects, but I did get some insider knowledge from Arkadiy Karneev, a seasoned nuclear industry expert. Here’s the hard truth: Nuclear projects are decided by governments, not markets. Every single nuclear power plant is the product of Big Government and Big Business. No exceptions.
Right now, there’s 68 GW of nuclear capacity under construction, with another 109 GW planned and 350 GW suggested. But don’t get too excited—on average, it takes 8 years to build a plant after construction starts. And that doesn’t even count the 5-15 years of design, permitting, and fundraising before the first shovel hits the ground.
So, no amount of cheerleading will speed up nuclear energy’s growth. If you’re truly passionate about nuclear, you have three paths:
1️⃣ Become a politician or government official—they’re the real gatekeepers.
2️⃣ Join the old guard—EDF, Westinghouse, and others who’ve been in the game for decades.
3️⃣ Stick with me, and I’ll share how you can carve out opportunities in the nuclear sector without selling out to Big Government or Big Business.
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