EXCLUSIVE: Nuclear power has plenty of critics – those who point to the cost of building plants, environmental harm from mining uranium for nuclear fission, but most of all safety concerns.
“To date, 1.5 percent of all nuclear power plants ever built have melted down to some degree,” writes the nonprofit org One Earth. “Meltdowns have been either catastrophic (Chernobyl, Ukraine in 1986; three reactors at Fukushima Dai-ichi, Japan in 2011) or damaging (Three-Mile Island in 1979; Saint-Laurent France in 1980).”
But the new documentary The Nuclear Future argues nuclear is the solution to this country’s rapidly expanding energy needs – demands fueled in part by the sudden expansion of AI, which requires tremendous amounts of electricity for data centers. The film, premiering September 15 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, is directed by award-winning filmmaker Evan Mascagni (Building a Bridge, Circle of Poison) and narrated by actor Boyd Holbrook (Narcos, Logan). After the Kennedy Center premiere, the documentary will go on a nine-state tour of 14 college campuses, “where cutting-edge research is underway and future scientists and engineers are currently studying.”
Watch the trailer for The Nuclear Future below.
‘The Nuclear Frontier‘
Player Piano Productions
“The film follows young advocates and business leaders as they advocate for the expansion of nuclear power in America, where energy demand is surging due to factors including the construction of AI data centers,” notes a synopsis. “The added demand has raised questions about the reliability of America’s existing electric grid to support such increases. The advocates must overcome the power source’s controversial past, as they tackle policy and financial challenges to unlock its transformative potential as a clean baseload energy source.
“The Nuclear Frontier offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how industry, technology and policy are converging to shape America’s next energy chapter, particularly as the country competes against China for leadership in nuclear’s zero-carbon technology. The United States has built just two nuclear reactors in the past 30 years, while China has built 37 in just 10 years and has another 30 under construction.”
‘The Nuclear Frontier’
Player Piano Productions
According to a release, the documentary was filmed at locations including Diablo Canyon Power Plant in California, the University of South Carolina, and Washington DC “that help tell the story of the movement toward more nuclear power.”
Director Evan Mascagni is a convert to the pro-nuclear cause.
“For years, I was opposed to nuclear energy, but I couldn’t fully explain why,” the filmmaker said in a statement. “After I was approached to make this film and began to seriously explore the issues, my perspective changed. I came to realize that embracing nuclear energy, along with wind and solar, may be one of the most effective ways to give my daughter and her generation a real chance at inheriting a planet that hasn’t been devastated by climate change.”
Watch the trailer for The Nuclear Frontier below:
