It’s hard to believe that our inaugural Nuclear in New Mexico Conference: Fueling the U.S. Nuclear Renaissance has come and gone. It was an incredible two and a half days (Monday, April 20 through Wednesday, April 22), with an amazing mix of people and thoughtful, relevant insights in every single fireside chat, panel discussion, and Q&A. We had strong participation from the National Labs as well, which added even more depth to the conversation. All in all, it was fabulous! Next year – same place…same month…. dates to follow!
I truly have an incredible team, and I want to thank them for the hard work that made this experience so seamless across the board. And none of this would have been possible without our sponsors. So….a few favorite moments……
I was especially pleased to have the team from Native Nuclear with us. I previously wrote about Scott Lathrop’s session, CEO of Native Nuclear, and I would be remiss not to also highlight his colleague, Dwight Dixon, Vice President of Native Nuclear. Dwight (Navajo Nation) brings more than 15 years of nuclear project leadership and has led major modification projects at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Arizona. At Native Nuclear, he is advancing Native representation in nuclear energy, ensuring that tribal voices are not just included but meaningfully engaged in shaping the future of clean energy development. Dwight spoke about Tribal engagement in nuclear energy and the future of the industry. His real-world perspective from inside the nuclear industry coupled with the broader conversation at the conference with the community, government and industry voices was second to none. His presence at Nuclear in New Mexico was a tremendous value-add, and we were honored to have him.
We also welcomed an outstanding group of high school students from Grants, New Mexico. This group left a real impression on me. These young voices showed up ready to be heard, to talk about the future they want to help build and be part of. Yes, the legacy issues matter, and they are real. But this group came forward to talk about what’s next; a future where nuclear can bring jobs, investment, and opportunity, one they can walk into with confidence.
I so appreciated what Dwight Dixon shared on social media about these students: “One of the highlights for me was hearing from the high school students who spoke during ‘The Voices of the Future: A Call to Action.’ Their presence, perspective, and confidence were a powerful reminder that the future is bright both figuratively and literally.”
I’ve enjoyed writing about our conference, but in case you missed it, we’ve got you covered. We recorded every session and will have them posted on the Clean Energy Association of New Mexico’s website soon. You’ll want to see for yourself just how impactful these conversations were, don’t just take my word for it. And make sure that you are there with us next year – we will be giving lots of advanced notice as to those dates.