Nuclear Energy in the 21st Century

An interesting new narrative has arisen around the need for nuclear energy and how an emerging set of privately funded companies are attempting to take a new set of nuclear energy products to commercialization. Today's presentation will describe the energy system trends driving this innovation, the imperatives driving nuclear energy development, and associated policy implications.

Dr. Todd Allen is currently a Professor at the University of Michigan, where he serves as the Chair of the Department of Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences. He is also a Senior Fellow at Third Way, a DC-based think tank, supporting Third Way’s Clean Energy Portfolio. He was the Deputy Director for Science and Technology at the Idaho National Laboratory from January 2013 through January 2016. Prior to INL, he was a Professor in the Engineering Physics Department at the University of Wisconsin. From March 2008 to December 2012, he was concurrently the Scientific Director of the Advanced Test Reactor National Scientific User Facility at INL. Prior to joining the University of Wisconsin, he was a Nuclear Engineer at Argonne National Laboratory-West in Idaho Falls. His 1997 Doctoral Degree in Nuclear Engineering was from the University of Michigan, and his 1984 Bachelor’s Degree in Nuclear Engineering was from Northwestern University. Prior to graduate work, he was an officer in the United States Navy Nuclear Power Program.