Woodruff School Professor, Alumnus Talk Nuclear Reactors on CNBC

Nuclear Plant Aerial View

Plant Vogtle, a nuclear power plant in Waynesboro, Georgia, is the largest source of clean energy in the U.S. following the addition of two new reactors, according to Georgia Power. So why is it so hard to build nuclear reactors in the U.S. and should the new Vogtle reactors be a blueprint or a cautionary tale for the future?

Learn more in a recent video by CNBC, which features Woodruff Professor Anna Erickson as well as alumnus and advisory board member John Williams.

Multisector Leaders Convene to Advance Transportation Electrification in the Southeast

More than 70 representatives from government agencies, automakers, utilities, universities, nongovernmental organizations and more met in Atlanta and virtually in June to share project updates and challenges about electric mobility in the Southeast.

The gathering was the first in-person meeting of the Southeast Electric Transportation Regional Initiative (SETRI) since it launched in 2021. SETRI is a multisector network—facilitated by Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability, the Georgia Tech Strategic Energy Institute and key partners—that seeks to convene, collaborate and inform on transportation electrification across the region. 

The Nicholas Institute, Georgia Tech Strategic Energy Institute and SETRI partner organizations are collaborating to advance transportation electrification through regular convenings such as this meeting, resources like the Southeast Portal for Electric Transportation Opportunities and data-driven research.

“Georgia Tech was delighted to host SETRI's 2024 in-person meeting,” said Richard Simmons, Ph.D., director of research and studies at the Georgia Tech Strategic Energy Institute. “SETRI is adding value and accelerating timely exchanges across the EV value chain from batteries to electric buses, and from federal funding to smart grid innovation throughout the Southeast.

“This voluntary coalition has grown from a roundtable of a dozen individuals four years ago to upwards of 100 dynamic, trend-setting organizations today. It's exciting to play a small part in providing a forum for this partnership, and to imagine its trajectory and impact over the coming years.”


 

Atlanta’s competitive advantages can help the whole region grow

Atlanta is booming. Driven by both its emergence as a leading high-tech and corporate center and regional demographic shifts, the growth curve has been sharp over the last decade, and that growth is flourishing around the state of Georgia as well. Ensuring sustained growth and prosperity requires a strategic approach to fostering educational and employment opportunities for all Georgians, whether that’s from high school, skilled trades, vocational schools, college or doctoral degrees. Georgia’s path to success lies in amplifying its unique strengths, differentiating itself from competitive states such as New York, Massachusetts and California.

Several distinctive features of the region are evident. Georgia and the Southeast are thriving in major global growth sectors such as manufacturing, batteries, automobiles, aerospace and energy. Georgia ranks No. 1 in terms of global corporate investments in the United States for energy manufacturing. This emerging multitrillion-dollar global market includes the production of batteries, solar panels, electric vehicles and hydrogen, and it is a critical component of the emerging regional southeastern “battery belt.” Georgia hosts the largest solar panel manufacturing facility in the Western Hemisphere, and aerospace products are Georgia’s largest export. These industries, dispersed across both urban and rural areas, integrate everything from shopfloor fabrication to cutting-edge, high-technology industries, employing thousands of Georgians across diverse skill sets.