A Nuclear Renaissance?

Hybrid

Robert Rosner, Doug Scott, and Rachel Bronson discuss how the global nuclear revival is reshaping energy competition, national security, and energy independence.

Nine Mile Point Clean Energy Center nuclear power plant is in Scriba, N.Y.

Mar

Ted Shaffrey / AP

Speakers

Robert Rosner
Doug Scott
Rachel Bronson

Date and Time

Mar 30: 5:30 - 6:30 pm CDT

Doors Open: 5:15 pm

Location

Chicago Council Conference Center, 130 E Randolph Street; or via YouTube

Who Can Attend

For All

REGISTRATION

This event is open to the public.

About This Event

Nuclear power is making a comeback. After decades of stagnation, countries are racing to build next-generation reactors. Russia and China are constructing plants across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. France and the UK are planning new reactors at home and many others in Europe are reconsidering their own programs. In the US, the Trump administration has moved to expand domestic nuclear capacity, and Governor Pritzker has issued executive orders to facilitate new nuclear builds, moderate energy prices, and power new data centers.

How is this nuclear renaissance shaping global energy competition? What does energy independence mean in today's interconnected world? And who wins—and loses—in the new nuclear age? Join Robert Rosner and Doug Scott, moderated by Rachel Bronson, for a discussion on nuclear power, geopolitics, and energy security.

This program is presented by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in partnership with the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

About the Speakers

Robert Rosner

William E. Wrather Distinguished Service Professor, Astronomy & Astrophysics and Physics, University of Chicago

Robert Rosner is the William E. Wrather Distinguished Service Professor in Astronomy & Astrophysics and Physics at the University of Chicago, where he has been on the faculty since 1987, with appointments in the Enrico Fermi Institute and the Harris School of Public Policy. He was previously Argonne National Laboratory's chief scientist and later laboratory director, and was founding chair of the Department of Energy's National Laboratory Directors' Council.

Doug Scott

Chair, Illinois Commerce Commission

Doug Scott is chair of the Illinois Commerce Commission, having been appointed in 2023 by Governor Pritzker after previously serving in the role from 2011 to 2015. Between ICC tenures, Scott was vice president of the Great Plains Institute, where he worked on decarbonization efforts with states, utilities, and other stakeholders, focusing on utility business models, transmission, and clean energy policy.

Rachel Bronson

Lester Crown Senior Nonresident Fellow, Energy and Geopolitics

Rachel Bronson is a senior advisor at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, having previously served as president and CEO, overseeing programming, communications, and the iconic Doomsday Clock. Before that, Bronson served as vice president of studies at the Council and as a senior fellow and director of Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, among other roles.

Partner Organization