🏆Nuclear Breaks Records in 2024

The International Energy Agency just dropped its Global Energy Review 2025—an annual deep dive into trends across all fuels, tech, and regions. And this year’s edition is packed with good news if you’re on Team Nuclear:

Nuclear output hit a 21st-century record — global nuclear generation surged by 100 TWh in 2024, the biggest annual jump (outside the post-COVID rebound) since 2000. Not bad for an industry some wrote off.

Over 7 GW of new nuclear capacity came online last year—up 33% from 2023—marking the fifth-largest annual addition in the past 30 years.

Reactor construction is heating up, with nine new builds breaking ground in 2024—a 50% spike from the year before. All of them are Chinese or Russian designs.

Nuclear now provides 9% of global electricity for the first time ever.

Uranium demand hit a new high, as plants ran harder and longer to keep up with exploding electricity demand—fueled by data centers, EVs, and record-breaking heat.

If we’re serious about powering the future and cutting emissions, nuclear is not optional—it’s essential.

🔗 Read the full report here: Global Energy Review 2025

⚛️Cool Links

🪐Putin envoy says Russia could supply a small nuclear power plant for Musk's Mars mission
Russia could supply a small nuclear power plant for a mission to Mars planned by Elon Musk, President Vladimir Putin's international cooperation envoy said on Thursday.

🥳America’s First Small Modular Nuclear Reactors Could Come to Michigan in 2030
Holtec International launches “Mission 2030” to build two SMRs at Palisades nuclear plant, nearly doubling energy output. Holtec’s SMR-300 is a small modular pressurized water reactor, producing 300 Megawatts electric (MWe) power or 1050 Megawatts thermal (MWt).

💨Australia should look to uranium as a chance to dodge Trump’s tariffs
As the world comes to grips with the Trump administration’s tariff diplomacy, the Australian government has positioned a critical minerals partnership as an inducement for the US not to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium. While it didn’t work this time, one commodity the government could focus on is that which the US really needs – uranium.

🚀IEA Chief Calls for Japan to Restart Dormant Nuclear Plants
Japan should accelerate its efforts to revive some of the country’s dormant nuclear power plants to meet growing demand for electricity, according to the head of the International Energy Agency. “The restart of nuclear power plants is critical,” Fatih Birol, executive director, said at an event in Tokyo.

💰DOE Unleashes $900M for SMRs

The U.S. Department of Energy has re-issued a $900 million funding opportunity to accelerate the deployment of American-made small modular reactors (SMRs)—and it's a major push to meet rising energy demands fueled by AI, data centers, and industry.

“America’s nuclear energy renaissance starts now” said U.S Energy Secretary Chris Wright. “Abundant and affordable energy is key to our nation’s economic prosperity and security. This solicitation is a call to action for early movers seeking to put more energy on the grid.”

The funding will support Generation III+ light-water SMRs, including up to $800 million for “first movers” ready to deploy their initial plant, and $100 million reserved for “fast followers” working through design, licensing, and supply chain hurdles.

Applications are due April 23, 2025, so if you’ve got a reactor blueprint and a bold team behind it—this is your shot.

😎“Let’s get MORE American-made energy!”

If U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright keeps tweeting like this, I’m gonna have to add a new section: Wright Tweet of the Week.

(Yeah, I’m a Chris Wright fanboy. The guy gets it.)

🤩Fusion Energy Just Got Real

Knoxville-based Type One Energy says there are no scientific barriers between them and a working fusion power plant—and they’re ready to prove it.

The company just dropped six peer-reviewed papers showing its stellarator design can realistically deliver commercial fusion—not someday, but by 2029 if all goes to plan.

So, how does it work?

The stellarator traps plasma—a superhot state of matter hotter than the sun’s core—inside a twisted donut-shaped magnetic field. That plasma holds hydrogen isotopes like deuterium, which fuse into helium, releasing massive amounts of clean energy.

A meter-thick metal blanket captures the heat, breeds more fuel (tritium), and transfers energy via helium to a turbine—just like a conventional power plant.

And the only byproduct? Helium. Yep, the balloon stuff. 🎈

With $82M raised and backing from Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy, Type One’s vision is gaining serious traction. “This isn’t a science project,” said CEO Christofer Mowry. “We’re designing a power plant.”

🚨The Nuclear Secret Hiding in Your Ceiling

Welcome back to Atomic Alternatives, where we spotlight nuclear tech in places you’d never expect.

This week, we’re looking up—literally—at one of the most common pieces of nuclear tech in your home: the smoke detector. 🚨

At the heart of most smoke detectors is a tiny bit of americium-241, a man-made radioactive element. It may sound intense, but don’t worry—it’s sealed safely inside and poses zero risk in normal use.

Americium-241 gives off alpha particles, which ionize the air inside the detector—basically turning it into a tiny electric circuit. When smoke particles enter the chamber, they disrupt this flow of ions, dropping the current and triggering the alarm.

⚙️ Why Use Radiation?

The radiation makes it super reliable. Ionization-based detectors respond quickly to fast-burning fires and are less prone to false alarms from steam or dust.

Millions of homes are using nuclear tech every day without even realizing it. Smoke detectors are a perfect example of how small-scale radiation can do big things—quietly protecting lives around the clock.

So the next time your smoke alarm beeps at 2 a.m., it’s not annoying—it’s a nuclear-powered guardian keeping you safe.☢️

😂Meme of The Week

Stay charged, stay critical (like a reactor), and keep glowing!😎

Fredrik
[email protected]