This week on the What is The Future For Cities podcast, we investigated nuclear energy from two angles: a research summary from Nuclear for Australia (Ep. 313) and an interview with financial expert Andrew Vass (Ep. 314). As cities face growing energy demands, climate challenges, and economic pressures, nuclear power emerges as a contender worth rethinking. Here are five takeaways that could reshape how we envision urban futures.

1. Nuclear Waste Isn’t What You Think

Ep. 313, drawing from Nuclear for Australia’s 2024 fact sheets, busted a major myth: nuclear waste is manageable. All used fuel ever produced globally could fit inside the Melbourne Cricket Ground—a surprisingly small footprint for the energy it delivers. Modern storage (water pools, dry casks, and geological repositories) and recycling options (reusing 90-95% of uranium) mean waste isn’t the dealbreaker it’s often painted as. For cities, this challenges us to prioritize data over fear when planning energy systems.

2. Safety Has Evolved Beyond Chernobyl

The research episode highlighted how modern reactors—like pressurized water reactors (PWRs) and advanced designs (e.g., TerraPower’s Natrium)—use passive safety systems that shut down automatically, no human or power needed. Statistically, it’s safer to work at a nuclear plant than a fast food joint. For urban planners, this suggests nuclear could be a reliable, low-risk baseload option near cities, freeing up land and resources elsewhere.

3. Energy Economics Drive City Vibrancy

Andrew Vass, in Ep. 314, flipped the script: it’s not just about decarbonizing—it’s about affordability and abundance. He cited Sydney’s 60-cent-per-kilowatt-hour peak rates, arguing that pricey energy dims a city’s lights, opportunities, and dynamism. Nuclear, with its consistent output (e.g., 1.1 gigawatts for 18 months straight from an AP1000), could halve costs over time via learning-by-doing (e.g., Vogtle’s second reactor was 30% cheaper). Cities thrive when energy is cheap and plentiful—economics can’t be an afterthought.

4. System Design Matters More Than Ideology

Andrew in Ep.314 emphasized nuclear’s efficiency edge: it slashes transmission needs (unlike offshore wind’s 50% capacity factor) and acts as a volatility suppressor. When renewables falter, prices spike—Germany hit €800/MWh this year, Australia’s cap is $17,000/MWh! Nuclear’s always-on supply lets businesses forward-hedge, stabilizing costs for energy-hungry urban sectors like data centers or manufacturing. Future cities need integrated systems, not siloed solutions.

5. Long-Term Value Trumps Upfront Cost

Both episodes underscored a mindset shift: focus on value, not just cost. Nuclear’s high initial price tags (e.g., Vogtle’s $32B) drop with repetition, and its 60-100-year lifespan offers a trust fund of clean energy for generations. Vass likened it to the Sydney Opera House—over budget, delayed, but invaluable today. Cities must invest in infrastructure that pays off over decades, not just years.

Nuclear isn’t perfect, but it’s a tool we can’t ignore. Ep. 313 gave us the science; Ep. 314 added the economic lens. Together, they challenge us to ask: How do we balance environment, cost, and security? How do we build cities that don’t just survive but thrive?

Listen to both episodes – Ep.313 and Ep.314 – and join the conversation at wtf4cities.com.

Next week, we’ll explore urban mining.

What do you think—could nuclear power your city’s future?

Share your thoughts – I’m at wtf4cities@gmail.com or @WTF4Cities on Twitter/X.

Let’s collaborate – because the future of cities isn’t just coming; we’re building it, step by step, together.