Kevin Kong, founder and CEO of Everstar, discusses the transformative potential of AI in the nuclear industry. He explores how digital twins and advanced simulations can accelerate regulatory processes, making nuclear energy more accessible and efficient. Kevin shares his vision for a future where AI and nuclear power drive innovation, addressing current bottlenecks and paving the way for sustainable energy solutions.

Join us as we delve into the challenges and opportunities at the intersection of technology and energy.

Kevin Kong is the CEO and Founder of Everstar, a company using advanced artificial intelligence to accelerate nuclear deployment. Drawing on his background in engineering leadership and AI development, Kevin is focused on transforming how nuclear projects are planned, approved, and built, reducing regulatory timelines from years to months.

Before founding Everstar, he served as CTO and Co-Founder of Hyperquery, an AI collaboration platform backed by Khosla Ventures, and as Head of Engineering at Bird, where he led large-scale software and hardware initiatives. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Harvard University.

Host, Dominique Cooper, welcomes Braden Stover on this episode. They explore the potential economic impact of Tennessee's leadership in energy innovation, particularly through the deployment of small modular reactors. It highlights the limitless opportunities for job creation and workforce development that could arise from this initiative.

Braden Stover, Chief Policy Officer at the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development (TNECD). In his role, he leads policy development, supports Tennessee’s nuclear and advanced-energy investment strategy, and helps position the state as a national leader in next-generation nuclear technologies, supply chain innovation, and workforce development. Braden has been deeply involved in Tennessee’s Nuclear Energy Advisory Council and the state’s efforts to build a competitive advanced nuclear ecosystem. He brings insight on how policy, industry, and innovation must converge to meet today’s energy and national-security challenges.

In this episode of the Advanced Nuclear podcast, host Jim Howe speaks with Joe Miller, President of Government Operations at BWX Technologies, about the company's essential role in manufacturing nuclear reactors for the U.S. Navy's submarines and aircraft carriers, as well as BWXT's development of advanced reactors and the fuels that power them. In a wide-ranging discussion they cover Project Pele, the importance and benefits of TRISO fuel, the challenges of workforce development, space nuclear propulsion, BWXT's focus on innovation, and the role of AI in advancing nuclear technology. Joe shares insights from his journey from the Nuclear Navy to industry, and highlights BWXT's commitment to meeting America's growing demand for nuclear energy.