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On moving fast and breaking things
Craig Piercycpiercy@ans.org
So much of what is happening in federal nuclear policy these days seems driven by a common approach popularized in the technology sector. Silicon Valley calls it “move fast and break things,” a phrase originally associated with Facebook’s early culture under Mark Zuckerberg. The idea emerged in the early 2000s as software companies discovered that rapid iteration, frequent experimentation, and a willingness to tolerate failure could dramatically accelerate innovation. This philosophy helped drive the growth of the social media, smartphones, cloud computing, and digital platforms that now underpin modern economic and social life.
Today, that mindset is also influencing federal nuclear policy. The Trump administration views accelerated nuclear deployment as part of a broader competition with China for technological and AI leadership. In that context, it seems willing to accept greater operational risk in pursuit of strategic advantage and long-term economic and security objectives.
12th Nuclear Plant Instrumentation, Control and Human-Machine Interface Technologies (NPIC&HMIT 2021)
Technical Session|Panel
Wednesday, June 16, 2021|4:30–6:15PM EDT
Session Chair:
Jason Remer
Session Organizer:
Alternate Chair:
Jamie B. Coble
Staff Producer:
Kathy Murdoch (ANS)
With many nuclear plants facing economic headwinds and many simply not profitable any longer, bold and courageous strategies are required to ensure that nuclear power is part of the energy conversation going forward. Simply replacing obsolete components or even systems without fundamentally changing the way nuclear plants are operated and maintained will not generate the kind of transformation that the industry must undertake. This panel will discuss current projects that, taken together, represent the best chance for nuclear power to remain viable well into the 21st century.
John Connelly
Exelon
Paul Phelps
Dominion Energy
Henry Butterworth
Excel Energy
INL
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