# Multimedia 

Multimedia 

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Apple Podcasts 

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Spotify 

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Cato Weekly Podcast • August 5, 2025 

# Atomic Economics 

Peter Van Doren and David Kemp bring libertarian skepticism to the bipartisan political support for nuclear power. They analyze why regulatory reform alone may not solve nuclear’s economic problems and discuss how recent U.S. projects have failed to deliver on promises of cost-effectiveness even after a supposed “renaissance” in the late 2000s. They finish up with a discussion on whether small modular reactors (SMRs) are the nuclear silver bullet.

[![Media Name: bellefonte_nuclear_crop.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/content_teaser/public/wp-content/uploads/bellefonte_nuclear_crop.jpg?itok=Wyl8S6qq)](https://www.cato.org/working-paper/nuclear-power-context-climate-change) 

Study 

### [Nuclear Power in the Context of Climate Change](/working-paper/nuclear-power-context-climate-change) 

By [David Kemp](https://www.cato.org/people/david-kemp) and [Peter Van Doren](https://www.cato.org/people/peter-van-doren) 

Nuclear power offers a low-carbon option for electricity generation. But it is high-cost relative to fossil-fuel generation, particularly combined-cycle natural gas power plants.

[![Cato Courses - Human Progress - Atom Representing Nuclear Fusion ](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/content_teaser/public/2024-11/cato-courses-hp-atom-fusion.jpg?itok=NiAxy3xt)](https://www.cato.org/regulation/fall-2022/would-carbon-tax-rejuvenate-nuclear-energy) 

Regulation 

### [Would a Carbon Tax Rejuvenate Nuclear Energy?](/regulation/fall-2022/would-carbon-tax-rejuvenate-nuclear-energy) 

By [David Kemp](https://www.cato.org/people/david-kemp) and [Peter Van Doren](https://www.cato.org/people/peter-van-doren) 

Nuclear power emits virtually no greenhouse gases or air pollution, but it has high capital costs and potential risk.

[![nuclear](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/content_teaser/public/2024-11/nuclear.jpg?itok=bGztsgIx)](https://www.cato.org/blog/nuclear-powers-newest-cautionary-tale) 

blog 

### [Nuclear Power’s Newest Cautionary Tale](/blog/nuclear-powers-newest-cautionary-tale) 

By [David Kemp](https://www.cato.org/people/david-kemp) and [Peter Van Doren](https://www.cato.org/people/peter-van-doren) 

The nuclear power renaissance experienced another setback this week with the cancellation of one of the United States’ leading nuclear projects.

[![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) 
This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/). 

##### Featuring 

[![Peter Van Doren](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2021-01/Peter%20Van%20Doren.jpg?itok=H1lphT-7)](/people/peter-van-doren) 

##### [Peter Van Doren](/people/peter-van-doren)

Senior Fellow and Editor of *Regulation*

[ 

](mailto:pvandoren@cato.org) 

[![David Kemp - cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2024-03/david-kemp-cropped.jpg?itok=xLe2PPTT)](/people/david-kemp) 

##### [David Kemp](/people/david-kemp)

Former Policy Analyst, Cato Institute