Energy Dense Discussions

086 David Ramsden-Wood, Engineer and Energy Thinker
The best energy opportunities are often hiding in plain sight. David Ramsden Wood—engineer, operator, investor, writer, and longtime energy thinker—joins Mark Hinaman for a wide-ranging conversation about how to recognize overlooked opportunities, allocate capital, and understand where the energy industry is heading next. From the early days of the shale revolution to overlooked acreage in the Bakken and New Mexico, DRW shares how he learned to look past conventional wisdom and find assets that others had dismissed. The conversation gets into the importance of timing, understanding the underlying rock, and why simply spending more money is not the same thing as creating value. They also discuss the lessons oil and gas may offer the rapidly expanding nuclear and data center industries. DRW argues that the current AI infrastructure boom deserves the same scrutiny as any other capital-intensive energy buildout: Are the economics real? Who is generating free cash flow? And are investors funding genuine demand or simply rewarding growth? The conversation ranges from nuclear and natural gas to EVs, autonomous vehicles, commodity markets, private equity, and the changing economics of energy. Along the way, DRW shares hard-earned lessons about raising capital, incentives, groupthink, and why some of the best opportunities can look completely wrong—until suddenly they don't.

037 Dr. Adam Stein, Director of Nuclear Energy Innovation at The Breakthrough Institute
Dr. Adam Stein speaks with Mark Hinaman about Dr. Stein's background, his time at the Breakthrough Institute, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the current state of nuclear regulatory policy and how it can be improved to advance the industry more quickly.

036 Suzie Jaworowski, Communications Consultant for NuScale Power
Suzie Jaworowski discusses her background in the oil and gas industry, the nuclear energy office at the Department of Energy, and her role in communications as an international energy consultant.

035 Vanessa Clark and William Kowalski, CEO and COO of Atomos Space
Vanessa and William chat with Mark Hinaman about their backgrounds in space technology as well as their new spacecraft which will taxi vessels in low earth orbit.

034 Jenifer Avellaneda aka Nuclear Hazelnut
Jenifer Avellaneda, aka @NuclearHazelnut on X, discusses with Mark Hinaman her discover of nuclear while growing up in Mexico, working in Vienna for the IAEA, her role as a probablistic risk assessment engineer at Westinghouse, and nuclear advocacy through twitter and other forums.

033 Mike Umbro, Partner at Premier Resource Management
Mike Umbro, an investment banker and oil-tycoon-turned-geothermal-entrepreneur, chats with Mark Hinaman about his project with Premier Resource Partners to build a long-term energy storage solution in existing oilfields in California.

032 Mike Conley, Writer and Author of Earth is a Nuclear Planet
Mike Conley chats with Mark Hinaman about his career as an author, his discovery of nuclear, and his new series of books he plans to publish beginning with Earth is a Nuclear Planet.

031 John Kotek, SVP for Policy Development and Public Affairs at Nuclear Energy Institute
John Kotek, SVP for Policy Development and Public Affairs at Nuclear Energy Institute talks to Mark Hinaman about Idaho National Labs and. the work that they're doing for the industry.

030 Robbie Stewart, Co-Founder at Boston Atomics
Robbie Stewart speaks with Mark Hinaman about his time at GE, studying at MIT, and his nuclear startup, Boston Atomics.

029 John Clarke, Energy Entrepreneur in South Africa
John Clark discusses his entrepreneur ventures in energy and how bringing nuclear to South Africa could solve the country's energy challenges.

028 Stephen Johnson, Director, Space Nuclear Power and Isotope Technologies at INL
Stephen Johnson, Director at Space Nuclear Power and Isotope Technologies Div. at Idaho National Laboratory, talks to Mark Hinaman about Idaho National Lab and some of the research they are working on.

027 Rep. James Strickler and Rep. Larry Scott, Former and Current New Mexico State Legislators
Representative James Strickler and Representative Larry Scott discuss energy policies, politics, closing coal plants, uranium mining, enrichment, and spent fuel storage, and the energy transition - all in New Mexico.

026 Guerric de Crombrugghe, Founding Partner at Nuketech
026 Guerric de Crombrugghe, Founding Partner at Nuketech discusses with Mark Hinaman how venture capital is helping push the nuclear industry to new heights.

025 Discussions on Energy and Networking (DEN Talks): Nuclear Energy & Opportunity Cost
Mark Hinaman hosts an informal and open discussion with engineers, salesmen, and non-profit advocates in the oil and gas industry in Denver. This discussion was recorded as part of the Denver chapter of Young Professionals in Energy's Discussion on Energy and Networking (DEN Talks) program. It's meant to have 10 to 20 minutes of a presenter speaking on a topic and allow for 40 to 60 minutes of dialogue and debate to follow. Mark discusses nuclear energy and the opportunity costs associated with focusing on other forms of energy generation.

024 Emmet Penney, Editor in Chief of Grid Brief and Host of Nuclear Barbarians
Emmet Penney, Editor in Chief of Grid Brief and Host of Nuclear Barbarians, talks to Mark Hinaman about the future of nuclear and his work in advocating for the industry.

023 Jeremy Shook, Principal Project Manager at EPRI
Jeremy Shook chats with Mark Hinaman about the Electric Power Research Institute, their work in research, and how nuclear will play a role in the future.

022 Gene Balsmeier, Nuclear Cheerleader & prior COO of Nuclear Waste Partnership, Operater of WIPP
Gene Balsmeier describes his varied and long career in nuclear energy, his time working at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), and nuclear's role moving forward in the energy industry.

021 Ray Beck, Chairman of JOLT: Joint Organizations Leading Transition
Ray Beck chats with Mark Hinaman about his career as a lineman and a public servant in northwest Colorado, the Joint Organizations Leading Transition (JOLT) conference held on 6/2/2023, and the energy transition as coal plants close in Craig and Hayden Colorado.

020 Josh Payne, CEO of Black Mesa Advanced Fission
Josh Payne, CEO of Black Mesa Advanced Fission chats with Mark Hinaman about his career working at the Department of Energy National Labs, X-Energy, and his startup building a new nuclear fission reactor.

019 Mike Keller, President & CEO of Hybrid Power Technologies
Mike Keller chats with Mark Hinaman about Hybrid Power's design for an advanced power plant.

018 Rishi Jain & Paul Murphy, Managing Directors at Cross River Infrastructure Partners
Rishi Jain and Paul Murphy discuss their work at Cross River Infrastructure Partners, development projects in nuclear, and their project with ARC in New Brunswick.

017 Liz Muller, CEO of Deep Isolation
Liz Muller chats with Mark Hinaman about Deep Isolation's strategy to utilize oil and gas technologies to develop storage systems for spent nuclear fuel.

016 Patrick White, Project Manager at Nuclear Innovation Alliance
On this weeks podcast Patrick White, Project Manager at Nuclear Innovation Alliance talks to Mark Hinaman about the research and work Nuclear Innovation is doing to help develop the nuclear industry.

015 Judi Greenwald, Executive Director of Nuclear Innovation Alliance
Judi Greenwald describes her career in energy, the Nuclear Innovation Alliance, and how we need to innovate on more than just technology.

014 Isaac Orr, Policy Fellow at Center of the American Experiment
Isaac Orr and Mark Hinaman talk about the sand market in oil and gas, energy policy in America, coal phase outs and if they're good for society, and how nuclear has a role to play moving forward.

013 Rod Adams, Managing Partner of Nucleation Capital
Rod Adams chats with Mark Hinaman about the existing and future nuclear industry, his time working as a Navy nuke and writer in the industry, and describes Nucleation Capital.
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