Nuclear Energy Dominance: Can the US do it Alone?

Event: Nuclear Energy Dominance: Can the U.S. Do It Alone?

Date: March 26-27, 2026

Location: MIT Campus, Building 45, Room 45-801 MIT Campus Map

Host: Prof. Jacopo Buongiorno (MIT)

Event Sponsors

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Thursday, March 26

REGISTRATION – 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM

OPEN REMARKS: 8:30 AM

Duane Boning, Vice Provost for International Activities.

INTRO: 8:40 AM - 9:00 AM

The Vision for a “Free-World Nuclear Team” to counter Russia’s and China’s current dominance of nuclear export markets (Prof. JACOPO BUONGIORNO, MIT)

SESSION 1: 9:00 AM -12:00 PM

The International Dimension and Alliances: Must-Haves and Nice-to-Haves (Dr. ANNA BROUGHEL, Johns Hopkins University and U.S. Association for Energy Economics)

1. U.S.-Canada (JACQUES BESNAINOU, Westinghouse)
2. U.S.-South Korea (FLORENCE LOWE-LEE, GABI)
3. U.S.-India (JASKIRAT GHOTRA, Larsen-Toubro)
4. U.S. Government perspective (JUSTIN FRIEDMAN, U.S. State Dept.)
5. Time to Resurrect the Idea of Shared Fuel Cycle Strategies/Facilities (enrichment, LEU reserves, HLW repositories) (RAULI PARTANEN, DeepGEO)

LUNCH: 12:00 PM -1:30 PM

Steve Moore (Generation Atomic) “Roving Reactor: Building Trust and Talent for New Nuclear”

SESSION 2: 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM

1. Leveraging the USG Power of Procurement (DOD, TVA, NASA, etc.) (Dr. JOHN PARSONS, MIT)
2. Support by Individual States: TX, WY, TN (DANIELLE ZIGON, UT-Austin)
3. Financing: Where Will the Money Come From? (PAUL MURPHY)
4. Transforming the NRC into an Enabling Regulator (Hon. JEFFREY MERRIFIELD, Pillsbury Law)
5. Can U.S. Do it Alone? (WILL WAGNER, Bechtel)

DINNER: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

SPEAKER: DR. RAJA ABDUL AZIZ RAJA ADNAN
Board Member, Malaysian Atomic Energy Licensing Board
Former Director General, Department of Atomic Energy of Malaysia
Former Director for Nuclear Security, IAEA
Former Special Assistant to the Director General for Nuclear Sciences and Applications, IAEA

Friday, March 27 

SESSION 3: 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

1. What Reactor Technologies are Credibly Ready to Deploy at Commercial Scale within the Next 5 Years? (DR. ROBBIE STEWART, Alva Energy, Inc.)
   
2. Status of the Nearest New Commercial Nuclear Reactor Project in North America: Darlington (OPG: Speaker TBD)
3. How Can ROK Support U.S. Deployment? (HYEONSOO KIM - Doosan Enerbility and CHANHO AHN - Hyundai E&C)
4. Use Cases: Oil/Gas and Maritime  (GREG SCHULZE, Exxon-Mobil and SANGMIN PARK – HD-KSOE)
5. A New Branding, Marketing and Media Approach for Nuclear (RANDY FREER and ROB FREDA)