Nuclear energy is complex and multifaceted, on one hand offering a promising avenue for clean energy generation while on the other hand raising serious concerns about waste disposal, safety, and the risk of proliferation. Recently, Poland announced its partnership with the U.S. to establish its first nuclear power plant. Given Poland’s struggle with severe air pollution, this move towards cleaner energy has been long overdue. The geopolitical landscape has added urgency to Poland’s quest for alternative energy sources, especially in light of Russia’s actions in Ukraine and its use of energy as a tool for economic and political leverage within the EU. In this context, a re-emergence nuclear energy brings forth crucial considerations, including Russia and China’s roles in nuclear technology development and the security of supply chains. Join us on November 29 at the Haynes Boone offices for the second part of our series A New Era of Energy: What Will Power Our Future? as we learn about The Nuclear Solution.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Jackie Siebens is the director of public affairs at Helion Energy and a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center. Previously, she held positions as the director of government affairs at Oklo Inc. and as a senior policy advisor with Third Way’s Climate and Energy Program. At Third Way, she designed and advocated for policies that drive innovation and deployment of clean energy technologies, with a focus on advanced nuclear reactors. Siebens also launched the Resource Council for Advanced Reactor Developers for collaboration among the nonproliferation, nuclear security, and advanced nuclear developer communities. Siebens advocates for the safe operation of the U.S. existing fleet of nuclear power plants. Earlier in her career, Siebens was an associate with the Nuclear Security Program at the Stimson Center, where she worked with the private sector to develop comprehensive nuclear security standards and incentivize industry stakeholders to reduce the risks posed by nuclear terrorism. She has published and presented with organizations including the International Nuclear Law Association, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Institute for Nuclear Materials Management, and the World Institute for Nuclear Security. Siebens regularly briefs Congress on matters related to the development of advanced nuclear reactors and the application of nuclear security and safeguards.

David Kenneth Smith is a senior scientist affiliated with the Global Security Directorate at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory USA focusing on nuclear security matters. He also continues as a visiting senior research fellow in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London UK. He served for a decade as the nuclear security coordinator (P5) in the Division of Nuclear Security at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria. While there he led the IAEA nuclear forensic science and radiological crime scene management team. Smith continues to support the IAEA as an expert in member-state nuclear security peer-reviews. His career includes leadership and technical staff positions involving studies of nuclear testing worldwide, technical engagement with states in Africa, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia with a focus on counter nuclear smuggling, and, with colleagues in the U.S. government and internationally, founding the discipline of pre-detonation nuclear forensics.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR
Brian Finlay has been the president and CEO of the Stimson Center since 2016. Under his leadership the Center has grown significantly, with a focus on environmental security, renewable energy, and technology. He previously served in various roles including vice president, managing director, and senior fellow at Stimson. Before joining the Center, he served as executive director of a Washington-based lobbying initiative focused on counterterrorism issues, as a researcher at the Brookings Institution, and as a program officer at the Century Foundation. Before emigrating to the United States from his native Canada, he served with the Public Health Agency and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Finlay is chairman emeritus of the board of directors of iMMAP, an information management and data analytics organization. He taught as an adjunct professor at American University in Washington and sits on the editorial board of Global Security, a journal of health, science, and policy published by Routledge, Taylor & Francis. With expertise in nonproliferation, transnational crime, counter-trafficking, and supply chain security, he holds a masters from the Norman Patterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University, a graduate diploma from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, and an honors B.A. from Western University in Canada.