It was great fun to focus on nuclear energy for the second week in a row! Your host Jim Vinoski interviews Julia Cartwright from the American Institute for Economic Research about nuclear energy and regulations. Cartwright, an economist, professor, and deep thinker, discusses the inefficiencies of government intervention in energy policies, citing examples like the Road to Housing Act and the regulatory capture. She highlights the potential of nuclear energy, particularly thorium, which is more efficient and abundant than uranium and plutonium. Cartwright criticizes the U.S. for not utilizing its uranium-233 reserves and advocates for a technology-neutral policy. She also emphasizes the need for regulatory certainty to encourage investment in nuclear energy and small modular reactors. In this short clip, Julia spells out some of the things that must happen to jump-start an aggressive buildout of U.S. nuclear capacity. See the whole episode here: https://youtu.be/ZBWAzjU50P4

It was great fun to focus on nuclear energy for the second week in a row! Your host Jim Vinoski interviews Julia Cartwright from the American Institute for Economic Research about nuclear energy and regulations. Cartwright, an economist, professor, and deep thinker, discusses the inefficiencies of government intervention in energy policies, citing examples like the Road to Housing Act and the regulatory capture. She highlights the potential of nuclear energy, particularly thorium, which is more efficient and abundant than uranium and plutonium. Cartwright criticizes the U.S. for not utilizing its uranium-233 reserves and advocates for a technology-neutral policy. She also emphasizes the need for regulatory certainty to encourage investment in nuclear energy and small modular reactors. In this short clip, Julia explains how the government's permitting "tar pit" bogs down our efforts to build nuclear plants and more. See the whole episode here: https://youtu.be/ZBWAzjU50P4

It was great fun to focus on nuclear energy for the second week in a row! Your host Jim Vinoski interviews Julia Cartwright from the American Institute for Economic Research about nuclear energy and regulations. Cartwright, an economist, professor, and deep thinker, discusses the inefficiencies of government intervention in energy policies, citing examples like the Road to Housing Act and the regulatory capture. She highlights the potential of nuclear energy, particularly thorium, which is more efficient and abundant than uranium and plutonium. Cartwright criticizes the U.S. for not utilizing its uranium-233 reserves and advocates for a technology-neutral policy. She also emphasizes the need for regulatory certainty to encourage investment in nuclear energy and small modular reactors. Highlights: 00:00 - Introduction and Background of Julia Cartwright 04:15 - Julia's Views on Government Regulation and Industrial Policy 08:14 - Energy Policy and Favoritism 17:01 - Challenges and Opportunities in Nuclear Energy 25:57 - Regulatory Barriers and Permitting Reform 29:04 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts Julia covered a lot of ground and offered a wealth of useful industry and policy recommendations. Tune in for the whole thing! Julia's articles mentioned in the show: "Ending the Era of Energy Favoritism" - https://aier.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Julia-Cartwright_Energy-Favoritism_v3.pdf Thorium reactor technology - https://azfreenews.com/2026/01/julia-cartwright-america-risks-losing-the-advanced-nuclear-race-to-china/ U-233 - https://www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2025/09/30/america_cant_lead_on_nuclear_while_destroying_its_own_fuel_1138084.html Julia's page at AIER - https://aier.org/people/julia-r-cartwright/

Your host Jim Vinoski interviews Brett Rampal, a nuclear expert with 20 years of experience, about the current state and future of the nuclear industry. Brett highlights the industry's significant regulatory challenges, noting the need for reform and better project management. He discusses the impact of recent presidential administrations on nuclear energy support and the potential for new projects, including the Trump administration's goal to quadruple the nuclear fleet by 2050. Rampal also emphasizes the importance of advanced technologies and the role of regulatory engagement in driving progress. He concludes with optimism about the industry's future, despite past setbacks. In this short clip, Brett reviews the advances that have been made in nuclear technology that make today's reactors safer and more reliable than ever before. See the whole show here: https://youtu.be/BoVpuMWApuQ

Your host Jim Vinoski interviews Brett Rampal, a nuclear expert with 20 years of experience, about the current state and future of the nuclear industry. Brett highlights the industry's significant regulatory challenges, noting the need for reform and better project management. He discusses the impact of recent presidential administrations on nuclear energy support and the potential for new projects, including the Trump administration's goal to quadruple the nuclear fleet by 2050. Rampal also emphasizes the importance of advanced technologies and the role of regulatory engagement in driving progress. He concludes with optimism about the industry's future, despite past setbacks. In this short clip, Brett discusses how today's regulators strike a balance between ensuring nuclear safety and promoting the development of promising new technologies. See the whole show here: https://youtu.be/BoVpuMWApuQ

Your host Jim Vinoski interviews Brett Rampal, a nuclear expert with 20 years of experience, about the current state and future of the nuclear industry. Brett highlights the industry's significant regulatory challenges, noting the need for reform and better project management. He discusses the impact of recent presidential administrations on nuclear energy support and the potential for new projects, including the Trump administration's goal to quadruple the nuclear fleet by 2050. Rampal also emphasizes the importance of advanced technologies and the role of regulatory engagement in driving progress. He concludes with optimism about the industry's future, despite past setbacks. In this short clip, Brett talks about heartening regulatory developments at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, where true experts are leading the charge to clear roadblocks to accelerated development of America's nuclear fleet. See the whole show here: https://youtu.be/BoVpuMWApuQ

Your host Jim Vinoski interviews Brett Rampal, a nuclear expert with 20 years of experience, about the current state and future of the nuclear industry. Brett highlights the industry's significant regulatory challenges, noting the need for reform and better project management. He discusses the impact of recent presidential administrations on nuclear energy support and the potential for new projects, including the Trump administration's goal to quadruple the nuclear fleet by 2050. Rampal also emphasizes the importance of advanced technologies and the role of regulatory engagement in driving progress. He concludes with optimism about the industry's future, despite past setbacks. In this short clip, Brett talks about positive new developments at the Department of Energy, where their approach now supports innovative technologies and increased nuclear generation. See the whole show here: https://youtu.be/BoVpuMWApuQ

Your host Jim Vinoski interviews Brett Rampal, a nuclear expert with 20 years of experience, about the current state and future of the nuclear industry. Brett highlights the industry's significant regulatory challenges, noting the need for reform and better project management. He discusses the impact of recent presidential administrations on nuclear energy support and the potential for new projects, including the Trump administration's goal to quadruple the nuclear fleet by 2050. Rampal also emphasizes the importance of advanced technologies and the role of regulatory engagement in driving progress. He concludes with optimism about the industry's future, despite past setbacks. In this short clip, Brett discusses the regulatory changes that are happening and those that are needed to truly launch us toward our country's ambitious nuclear power goals. See the whole show here: https://youtu.be/BoVpuMWApuQ

Your host Jim Vinoski interviews Brett Rampal, a nuclear expert with 20 years of experience, about the current state and future of the nuclear industry. Brett highlights the industry's significant regulatory challenges, noting the need for reform and better project management. He discusses the impact of recent presidential administrations on nuclear energy support and the potential for new projects, including the Trump administration's goal to quadruple the nuclear fleet by 2050. Rampal also emphasizes the importance of advanced technologies and the role of regulatory engagement in driving progress. He concludes with optimism about the industry's future, despite past setbacks. In this short clip, Brett and I chat about the ambitious growth plans the Trump administration has set out as a challenge (and started funding) for America's nuclear industry. See the whole show here: https://youtu.be/BoVpuMWApuQ

Your host Jim Vinoski interviews Brett Rampal, a nuclear expert with 20 years of experience, about the current state and future of the nuclear industry. Brett highlights the industry's significant regulatory challenges, noting the need for reform and better project management. He discusses the impact of recent presidential administrations on nuclear energy support and the potential for new projects, including the Trump administration's goal to quadruple the nuclear fleet by 2050. Rampal also emphasizes the importance of advanced technologies and the role of regulatory engagement in driving progress. He concludes with optimism about the industry's future, despite past setbacks. In this short clip, Brett explains how regular tradesmen are both the bottleneck and the cost driver for new nuclear installations. See the whole show here: https://youtu.be/BoVpuMWApuQ

Your host Jim Vinoski interviews Brett Rampal, a nuclear expert with 20 years of experience, about the current state and future of the nuclear industry. Brett highlights the industry's significant regulatory challenges, noting the need for reform and better project management. He discusses the impact of recent presidential administrations on nuclear energy support and the potential for new projects, including the Trump administration's goal to quadruple the nuclear fleet by 2050. Rampal also emphasizes the importance of advanced technologies and the role of regulatory engagement in driving progress. He concludes with optimism about the industry's future, despite past setbacks. Highlights: 00:00 - Introduction and Guest Background 04:18 - Historical Context and Industry Changes 07:51 - Regulatory Environment and Challenges 12:55 - Recent Developments and Industry Support 17:00 - Project Management and Workforce Development 24:43 - Regulatory Reform and Future Plans 26:33 - Advanced Technologies and Market Demand 36:01 - Positive Outlook and Industry Collaboration 41:06 - Closing Thoughts and Future Prospects Do check out the whole show - you'll be glad you did! Brett's page at the National Center for Energy Analytics website: https://energyanalytics.org/team/brett-rampal

It was very cool to return the favor for Aaron Witt, founder of training platform BuildWitt and host of Dirt Talk, where your host Jim Vinoski appeared a couple months ago. Aaron Witt discussed his mission to promote the construction and mining industries through micro learning and continuous improvement. He highlighted the critical infrastructure workforce shortage, noting 80-85% of contractors struggle with workforce retention. He emphasized the need for innovative training methods and modern tools to attract and retain young workers. Aaron criticized the slow U.S. mine permitting process, which delays projects and increases costs. He also stressed the importance of government support and private sector collaboration to drive infrastructure development and improve productivity. Of course, in keeping with our July focus on red tape, Aaron shared his thoughts on what our hyper-regulatory environment is costing us. Aaron's points about our need for meaning and purpose were particularly compelling. In this short clip, Aaron and I chat about heavy equipment inventing and entrepreneurship legend R.G. LeTourneau, and how his work of 100 years ago and more is still so compelling today. See the whole show here: https://youtu.be/LKUr-Jib_ZY

It was very cool to return the favor for Aaron Witt, founder of training platform BuildWitt and host of Dirt Talk, where your host Jim Vinoski appeared a couple months ago. Aaron Witt discussed his mission to promote the construction and mining industries through micro learning and continuous improvement. He highlighted the critical infrastructure workforce shortage, noting 80-85% of contractors struggle with workforce retention. He emphasized the need for innovative training methods and modern tools to attract and retain young workers. Aaron criticized the slow U.S. mine permitting process, which delays projects and increases costs. He also stressed the importance of government support and private sector collaboration to drive infrastructure development and improve productivity. Of course, in keeping with our July focus on red tape, Aaron shared his thoughts on what our hyper-regulatory environment is costing us. Aaron's points about our need for meaning and purpose were particularly compelling. In this short clip, Aaron spells out just how easy it should be to sell hand-on work to our young people. See the whole show here: https://youtu.be/LKUr-Jib_ZY

It was very cool to return the favor for Aaron Witt, founder of training platform BuildWitt and host of Dirt Talk, where your host Jim Vinoski appeared a couple months ago. Aaron Witt discussed his mission to promote the construction and mining industries through micro learning and continuous improvement. He highlighted the critical infrastructure workforce shortage, noting 80-85% of contractors struggle with workforce retention. He emphasized the need for innovative training methods and modern tools to attract and retain young workers. Aaron criticized the slow U.S. mine permitting process, which delays projects and increases costs. He also stressed the importance of government support and private sector collaboration to drive infrastructure development and improve productivity. Of course, in keeping with our July focus on red tape, Aaron shared his thoughts on what our hyper-regulatory environment is costing us. Aaron's points about our need for meaning and purpose were particularly compelling. In this short clip, Aaron gets down to basics on just WHY jobs making stuff are so incredibly cool. See the whole show here: https://youtu.be/LKUr-Jib_ZY

It was very cool to return the favor for Aaron Witt, founder of training platform BuildWitt and host of Dirt Talk, where your host Jim Vinoski appeared a couple months ago. Aaron Witt discussed his mission to promote the construction and mining industries through micro learning and continuous improvement. He highlighted the critical infrastructure workforce shortage, noting 80-85% of contractors struggle with workforce retention. He emphasized the need for innovative training methods and modern tools to attract and retain young workers. Aaron criticized the slow U.S. mine permitting process, which delays projects and increases costs. He also stressed the importance of government support and private sector collaboration to drive infrastructure development and improve productivity. Of course, in keeping with our July focus on red tape, Aaron shared his thoughts on what our hyper-regulatory environment is costing us. Aaron's points about our need for meaning and purpose were particularly compelling. This is such a great, wide-ranging, deeply informative conversation! Highlights: 00:00 - Introduction of Aaron Witt and BuildWitt 02:24 - Aaron's Career path and his Founding of BuildWitt 04:39 - Micro-learning and Continuous Improvement 07:58 - Workforce Challenges in Construction and Mining 11:46 - The Role of Technology and Modern Tools 23:10 - The Impact of Regulations on Infrastructure Development 36:32 - The Importance of Purpose and Meaningful Work 47:18 - The Role of Government and Private Sector Collaboration 51:56 - The Future of Infrastructure and Workforce Development 53:56 - Conclusions and Final Thoughts Be sure to tune in for the whole show! You'll be glad you did. BuildWitt: https://buildwitt.com/ Dirt Talk: https://aaron.buildwitt.com/the-dirt-talk-podcast

As promised, July's focus here is on red tape and its costs and effects. This week is the kick-off! Your host Jim Vinoski discusses the extensive impact of red tape regulations on American manufacturing and energy sectors. He highlights the staggering growth of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), which expanded from 130,800 pages in 2000 to over 190,000 pages by 2023. Studies by Mark and Nicole Crain reveal that federal regulations cost the U.S. economy over $3 trillion, with an average annual compliance cost of $277,000 per firm. Manufacturing firms, particularly small ones, bear a significant burden, with costs per employee ranging from $14,700 to $50,100. Jim emphasizes the need for regulatory reform to support reindustrialization and energy production. In this short clip, Jim spells out the many legal battles and efforts to avoid them that also make our manufacturers and energy companies uncompetitive. See the whole episode here: https://youtu.be/x3DMPWJSOto

As promised, July's focus here is on red tape and its costs and effects. This week is the kick-off! Your host Jim Vinoski discusses the extensive impact of red tape regulations on American manufacturing and energy sectors. He highlights the staggering growth of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), which expanded from 130,800 pages in 2000 to over 190,000 pages by 2023. Studies by Mark and Nicole Crain reveal that federal regulations cost the U.S. economy over $3 trillion, with an average annual compliance cost of $277,000 per firm. Manufacturing firms, particularly small ones, bear a significant burden, with costs per employee ranging from $14,700 to $50,100. Jim emphasizes the need for regulatory reform to support reindustrialization and energy production. In this short clip, Jim explains how uncertainly about where regulations are headed (for example, with the change of presidential administrations) and the requirement to invest in what red tape requires both impose their own cost burdens on industry. See the whole episode here: https://youtu.be/x3DMPWJSOto

As promised, July's focus here is on red tape and its costs and effects. This week is the kick-off! Your host Jim Vinoski discusses the extensive impact of red tape regulations on American manufacturing and energy sectors. He highlights the staggering growth of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), which expanded from 130,800 pages in 2000 to over 190,000 pages by 2023. Studies by Mark and Nicole Crain reveal that federal regulations cost the U.S. economy over $3 trillion, with an average annual compliance cost of $277,000 per firm. Manufacturing firms, particularly small ones, bear a significant burden, with costs per employee ranging from $14,700 to $50,100. Jim emphasizes the need for regulatory reform to support reindustrialization and energy production. In this short clip, Jim points out the very real and enormous costs of our permitting crisis, where activists can tie up mines and factories for a decade or more. See the whole episode here: https://youtu.be/x3DMPWJSOto

As promised, July's focus here is on red tape and its costs and effects. This week is the kick-off! Your host Jim Vinoski discusses the extensive impact of red tape regulations on American manufacturing and energy sectors. He highlights the staggering growth of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), which expanded from 130,800 pages in 2000 to over 190,000 pages by 2023. Studies by Mark and Nicole Crain reveal that federal regulations cost the U.S. economy over $3 trillion, with an average annual compliance cost of $277,000 per firm. Manufacturing firms, particularly small ones, bear a significant burden, with costs per employee ranging from $14,700 to $50,100. Jim emphasizes the need for regulatory reform to support reindustrialization and energy production. In this short clip, Jim talks about the need for nuclear power and its emissions-free energy - but how we're stymying it by piling on the red tape. See the whole episode here: https://youtu.be/x3DMPWJSOto

As promised, July's focus here is on red tape and its costs and effects. This week is the kick-off! Your host Jim Vinoski discusses the extensive impact of red tape regulations on American manufacturing and energy sectors. He highlights the staggering growth of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), which expanded from 130,800 pages in 2000 to over 190,000 pages by 2023. Studies by Mark and Nicole Crain reveal that federal regulations cost the U.S. economy over $3 trillion, with an average annual compliance cost of $277,000 per firm. Manufacturing firms, particularly small ones, bear a significant burden, with costs per employee ranging from $14,700 to $50,100. Jim emphasizes the need for regulatory reform to support reindustrialization and energy production. In this short clip, Jim discusses the effects of hyper-regulation on our energy production, and what that means for manufacturing and our reindustrialization efforts. See the whole episode here: https://youtu.be/x3DMPWJSOto

As promised, July's focus here is on red tape and its costs and effects. This week is the kick-off! Your host Jim Vinoski discusses the extensive impact of red tape regulations on American manufacturing and energy sectors. He highlights the staggering growth of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), which expanded from 130,800 pages in 2000 to over 190,000 pages by 2023. Studies by Mark and Nicole Crain reveal that federal regulations cost the U.S. economy over $3 trillion, with an average annual compliance cost of $277,000 per firm. Manufacturing firms, particularly small ones, bear a significant burden, with costs per employee ranging from $14,700 to $50,100. Jim emphasizes the need for regulatory reform to support reindustrialization and energy production. In this short clip, he explains how EVERY regulation MUST be viewed as a burden on our producers, because that's exactly what it is - and thoroughly analyzed for cost vs. benefit. See the whole episode here: https://youtu.be/x3DMPWJSOto

As promised, July's focus here is on red tape and its costs and effects. This week is the kick-off! Your host Jim Vinoski discusses the extensive impact of red tape regulations on American manufacturing and energy sectors. He highlights the staggering growth of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), which expanded from 130,800 pages in 2000 to over 190,000 pages by 2023. Studies by Mark and Nicole Crain reveal that federal regulations cost the U.S. economy over $3 trillion, with an average annual compliance cost of $277,000 per firm. Manufacturing firms, particularly small ones, bear a significant burden, with costs per employee ranging from $14,700 to $50,100. Jim emphasizes the need for regulatory reform to support reindustrialization and energy production. In this short clip, he discusses how regulations were a huge part of why we lost whole swaths of our industries in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. See the whole episode here: https://youtu.be/x3DMPWJSOto

Regulations have gotten so bad we mostly don't even talk about them anymore. That's a huge problem, because red tape is the number 1 thing that can derail our reindustrialization efforts, our nuclear resurgence, and our energy independence. Your host Jim Vinoski tackles the problem head-on, discussing the extensive impact of red tape regulations on American manufacturing and energy sectors. He highlights the staggering growth of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), which expanded from 130,800 pages in 2000 to over 190,000 pages by 2023. Studies by Mark and Nicole Crain for the National Association of Manufacturers reveal that federal regulations cost the U.S. economy over $3 trillion, with an average annual compliance cost of $277,000 per firm. Manufacturing firms, particularly small ones, bear a significant burden, with costs per employee ranging from $24,800 to $50,100. Jim concludes by emphasizing the need for radical regulatory reform to support reindustrialization and energy production. Links: The Pacific Legal Foundation's page on the Code of Federal Regulations: https://pacificlegal.org/the-cfr-a-190000-page-monument-to-executive-overreach/ NAM's summary on the cost of regulations: https://nam.org/issues/regulatory-and-legal-reform/ The full NAM report by Nicole and Mark Crain: https://nam.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NAM-3731-Crains-Study-R3-V2-FIN.pdf The American Action Forum's report on nuclear regulatory costs: https://www.americanactionforum.org/research/putting-nuclear-regulatory-costs-context/ Jim Vinoski's recent Substack on the total cost of regulations in industry: https://manufacturingtalks.substack.com/p/the-unseen-costs-of-regulations

Here's a superb example of a public-private partnership to help with our desperate need for more skilled trades gurus. Jim Vinoski interviews Jason Wells from the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) program, which trains the U.S. defense industrial base workforce. The program, based in Danville, Virginia, focuses on skilled trades like machining, welding, and quality assurance, integrating technology to stay relevant. It has graduated nearly 2,000 students in five years, with a current annual graduation target of 1,000. The program's success is attributed to local, state, and federal funding and collaboration with industry. The initiative highlights the importance of a proactive approach to workforce development and the need for a national perspective on the skills gap. In this short clip, Jason discusses how manufacturing has a long history of being an American superpower, and how we can't afford to let the hands-on knowledge that drives it slip away. See the whole show here: https://youtu.be/S0c6CYkIgSM