Nuclear’s Second Act

Is restarting Three Mile Island the ultimate redemption story—or the industry's biggest PR gamble? Judy Rader, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Chief Communications Officer at Constellation Energy, runs communications for the nation's largest clean energy producer. Operating 21 nuclear reactors representing 25% of U.S. nuclear capacity, Constellation has transformed nuclear's narrative from defensive to proactive. "I want to save nuclear power plants. I think it's important for our climate," Judy told a skeptical colleague before joining the 2022 spinoff. She explains why restarting Three Mile Island was the right call, how eating a banana delivers more radiation than living near a reactor, and what it takes to build new nuclear at scale. Can America compete with China's nuclear buildout? Judy Rader is Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Chief Communications Officer at Constellation Energy, the nation's largest producer of clean, carbon-free electricity. With operational oversight of 21 nuclear reactors representing 25% of all U.S. nuclear capacity, Judy leads corporate communications and public affairs strategy. Her 20-year energy career began at ComEd in 2005 after agency experience with blue-chip clients including Kraft, Boeing, and Allstate. A passionate advocate for nuclear energy's climate benefits, Judy joined Constellation's 2022 spinoff from Exelon to advance the industry's clean energy mission. She spearheaded the Come Clean campaign, helping drive public nuclear support to 60%. In This Episode: (00:00) Judy Rader and Constellation Energy's nuclear leadership (04:08) From agency life to utilities, expecting boring work (08:18) Nuclear's perception problem and the Come Clean campaign (14:30) Three Mile Island restart announcement and strategic messaging (20:43) Radiation facts, banana comparisons, and public education (23:00) Building new nuclear capacity to meet demand growth Share with someone who would enjoy this topic, like and

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Nuclear’s Second Act is an episode from Raising Your Antenna by Keith Zakheim.

This episode is 00:28:01 long.

This episode was published on Dec 18, 2025.

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