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US Aims to Build $80bn Worth of New Nuclear Power Plants by Neil Gerrard

William Attardi on November 1, 2025

The US government has struck up a partnership with the Canadian owners of Westinghouse Electric as part of a plan to build at least $80 billion worth of new nuclear reactors. Westinghouse Electric’s owners, Canada-based Cameco, which supplies uranium and nuclear fuel services, and Brookfield Asset Management, confirmed the strategic partnership to accelerate the deployment of nuclear power in the US. he US government is expected to arrange financing and secure permits for the new nuclear plants in return for a 20% share of future profits, after Westinghouse has paid out profits of $17.5 billion to Brookfield and Cameco. A national deployment of the reactors could generate 100,000 construction job.  US aims to build $80bn worth of new nuclear power plants – Construction Briefing

Nuclear Power Could Be a $10 Trillion Industry That ‘Holds the Answer to the World’s Power Shortages’

William Attardi on September 23, 2025

Nuclear energy represents a $10 trillion potential market opportunity that could hold “the answer to the world’s power shortages,” according to a new report from Bank of America. To meet the growing demand for global electrification stoked by energy-intensive projects like the data centers underpinning the AI arms race, global nuclear capacity will have to triple by 2050, the firm estimated. Investment is expected to reach more than $3 trillion in the next 25 years. Small Modular Reactors, or SMRs are typically designed to produce around 500 megawatts or less of energy compared to a traditional nuclear power plant’s 1,000 MW or more. Unlike traditional nuclear power plants that may take years — if not decades — to bring online, SMRs are cheaper and faster to build, with “modular” parts that can be mass-produced and slotted together on an assembly line.  Nuclear power could be a $10 trillion industry that ‘holds the answer to the world’s power shortages’

It’s Back to School – How Some of Our Most Acknowledged Universities Got Their Name – Who were the true visionaries who would donate half of their estate to sculpting the minds of the future. These stories are monuments to history and culture. Let’s take a stroll through academia’s memory lane and uncover the origins of these storied university names!

  1. Ah, Harvard! The Ivy League giant was once a small college in the Massachusetts Bay Colony settlement called New Towne. But where did “Harvard” come from? Enter John Harvard, a clergyman who, in 1638, decided to bequeath half his estate and his library (a whopping 400 books!) to the fledgling college. Grateful for this generous gift, they promptly named the institution after him.
  2. A gem of New Haven, Connecticut, Yale is another Ivy League powerhouse known for its prestigious law and drama schools. It owes its name to Elihu Yale, a wealthy merchant who, in 1718, donated a modest shipment of goods (including portraits, books, and textiles) to a struggling collegiate school. Those goods were auctioned off, raising a much-needed £562 –a small fortune at the time.
  3. Dartmouth is renowned for its beautiful rural setting, nestled in the picturesque town of Hanover, New Hampshire. It was named after the Earl of Dartmouth, William Legge, a British nobleman who supported the college’s founding –despite never actually setting foot in America!
  4. Brown, this Rhode Island Ivy University, known for its open curriculum and emphasis on student choice, was founded with a mouthful of a name – the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It was renamed in 1704 for Nicholas Brown, Jr., a prominent merchant whose family donated generously to the school.
  5. Perched atop a hill overlooking Ithaca, New York, Cornell is celebrated for its diverse academic programs and its stunning natural surroundings. Founded by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, this university was unique for its commitment to practical education, allowing students the freedom to choose their own course of study. It was a revolutionary notion at the time, which would guide a curricular reform across the country.
  6. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Stanford is renowned for its entrepreneurial spirit and its close ties to the tech industry. But this California powerhouse has a touching origin story. Leland Stanford, Jr., the founder’s son, tragically died young from typhoid fever. His father Leland Sr., railroad magnate and former state governor, and his mother Jane, founded the university in his memory, ensuring his legacy lived on through the pursuit of knowledge.
  7. This North Carolina research giant, known for its strong medical and law schools, underwent a bit of a name change in its history. Originally called Trinity College, it was renamed Duke University in 1924 after James Buchanan Duke, a tobacco and electric power industrialist who founded the American Tobacco Company. He established The Duke Endowment, to which he donated throughout his life and left half his estate after his death.
  8. Nestled in Nashville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt is a renowned research university with a vibrant campus life. It owes its name to “The Commodore,” Cornelius Vanderbilt, a shipping and railroad magnate, who provided the initial gift to establish the university.
  9. Texas businessman William Marsh Rice provided the initial funding for this Houston university, but did not live to see its opening. He was murdered by his valet as he slept, in a plot to forge the man’s will. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Rice University flourished through the years, becoming an institution known for its strong engineering and science programs.
  10. Who was Harvard named after? Origin of university names