Sustainability Street: Is Nuclear Energy the Answer?

<p>Welcome back to Sustainability Street, <em>CPE</em>’s podcast on the intersection of commercial real estate and the world we live in.</p><p>For this episode, I&#39;m talking about nuclear energy with Jon Lemmond, growth lead for sustainable operations, smart building services and energy engineering for real estate management services at JLL. </p><p>There is a push to bring nuclear energy back into the mainstream power landscape. Its return would ease energy concerns and siting constraints for the fast-growing data center business and heavy industrial users. </p><p>&quot;If we can build nucler in a cost efficient way, once it&#39;s built, that&#39;s a huge amount of base loand that should then help us site more, build more and then also help minimize the cost increases from energy usage,&quot; Lemmond told me.</p><p>But nuclear has sustainability downsides as well, and, Lemmond explained, its complex history has created a patchwork regulatory framework that will make progress difficult.</p><p>Here are some highlights from our conversation:<br>(02:26) Making of an energy expert<br>(05:51) The federal push for nuclear<br>(09:51) Nuclear and siting capability<br>(15:08) A nation divided on nuclear<br>(19:28) Shifting public opinion<br>(20:48) Sustainability upsides/downsides<br>(25:50) Elsewhere in energy innovation<br>(30:41) For further information</p><p></p>