The insider’s playbook for new nuclear projects

As the nuclear renaissance comes into focus in the U.S., the sector’s true bottleneck might not be advanced reactors, but its lack of heavy-lifting project developers. These are the companies who secure and permit sites, navigate the interconnection queue, line up offtakers, and assemble a team of both savvy EPCs and experienced plant operators. 

In this episode of Catalyst, Shayle Kann sits down with David Faherty, co-founder of Elementl Power, to walk through the soup-to-nuts playbook for delivering new nuclear projects in the United States. David explains everything from how his team approaches greenfield site screening, why early-stage development capital remains the hardest money to raise, and how portfolio-level structuring could unlock nuclear's elusive learning curve. 

Shayle and David also discuss:

- What makes a viable nuclear site, from seismic and geotechnical screenings to community engagement and interconnection dynamics

- Why 20- to 25-year investment-grade offtakes from hyperscalers are critical for debt financing

- Why Elementl opts for GE Hitachi’s BWRX-300 SMR over Gen IV startup reactor concepts

- Lessons learned from Vogtle — from the design phase and regulatory alignment to workforce retention

- How standardizing the nuclear island can help developers cut costs

Note: EIP is an investor in Elementl, where Shayle sits on the board.

- Catalyst: The global geopolitics of nuclear fuel

- Catalyst: A blueprint for scalable fusion power

- Catalyst: Building a domestic nuclear fuel supply chain

- Catalyst: The path to market for new nuclear reactors 

- Open Circuit: Is commercial fusion finally near?

- Latitude Media: DOE Is dedicating $17.5 billion in loans to the nuclear supply chain

Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Max Savage Levenson. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is our executive editor.

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Catalyst is brought to you by Antenna Group, the strategic communications and marketing partner behind the biggest names in energy, climate, and infrastructure. For three decades, Antenna has helped breakout companies amplify their stories, build reputation, differentiate from the competition, define new categories and accelerate growth. Learn more at antennagroup.com. 

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