Issue 16 of Western Confluence will explore the full fuel cycle of nuclear energy development—from uranium recovery to nuclear waste disposal. Stories will be released online through 2026 and in print January 2027.
In the ’50s, nuclear was deemed the energy of the future. Finally, humankind would have reliable, clean energy that was so cheap as to be nearly free. Eighty-some years later, calls for decarbonization alongside skyrocketing energy demand has many heralding a nuclear renaissance, where some form of those original dreams can come true. Proponents promise this isn’t “your father’s nuclear,” and a lot does look different, from new fuels to next generation reactors. But some questions, like where to permanently store spent fuel, remain evergreen.
The next issue of Western Confluence will help readers understand the historical legacy and modern-day implications of the full fuel cycle of nuclear energy development—for natural resource management, energy production, access, and use, the environment, communities, and more. The issue will ask:
- What developments are proposed or already happening around uranium mining and milling, fuel refinement, energy generation, spent fuel storage, facility siting, and supporting industries? What environmental, social, and economic risks do they pose? What environmental, social, and economic benefits do they offer?
- Where and how are past nuclear projects informing a community’s response to modern development proposals? Under what conditions are they saying “yes” or “no”?
- How has nuclear regulation and the nuclear industry changed? What innovative, collaborative, or novel approaches are businesses and organizations trying? What sticky, intractable challenges remain?
- How are people grappling with the challenges of making decisions about low-probability, high-impact risks and extended time horizons?
