Physics:Jessica Lovering
Jessica Lovering is an American engineer, researcher and advocate for nuclear power. She has worked at a number of public policy organizations, researching nuclear power and promoting increased adoption of the technology as a means to mitigate climate change.
Education
Lovering earned a B.A. in astrophysics from the University of California, Berkeley and M.S. degrees in environmental studies and in astrophysical and planetary sciences from the University of Colorado, Boulder.[1] At Berkeley, she was part of the Deep Ecliptic Survey team which discovered minor planet 54598 Bienor.[2]
In 2020 she completed a Ph.D. in engineering and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University.[1] Her thesis, Evaluating changing paradigms across the nuclear industry, investigated the shift towards smaller, commodity, nuclear reactors from non-American exporters, and the related implications for global security.[3]
Public policy and advocacy
Lovering was hired by the Breakthrough Institute in 2012 start up their nuclear program[4]: 223 and work on nuclear energy policy and later became the director of its energy program.[5][6] Her 2016 paper, "Historical construction costs of global nuclear power reactors", argued that construction costs of nuclear power plants had escalated more moderately than previously reported,[7] and provoked rebuttals from Jonathan Koomey and Benjamin K. Sovacool, among others.[8] She noted the 94 nuclear reactors in the United States were based on fifty different designs while those in France and South Korea had only a few types likely leading to lower costs there.[5]
In 2020 she co-founded the Good Energy Collective in an effort to align nuclear advocacy with progressive and environmentalist ideals.[4]: 223 [9] Presenting her advocacy of nuclear power as an environmental justice issue,[10] she also engages with people about its downsides including weapons history and nuclear waste, which can impact public health.[4]: 224–225 She advocated for nuclear power at a debate with Mark Jacobson at an event presented by The Steamboat Institute at Colorado Mesa University.[11]
In 2025, she became a senior fellow at the Nuclear Innovation Alliance, an American think tank.[1] Her written work has featured in various publications, including journals Issues in Science and Technology, Science and Public Policy, Foreign Affairs and Energy Policy.[12]
Selected publications
- Lovering, Jessica; Nordhaus, Ted; Shellenberger, Michael (September 7, 2012). "Out of the Nuclear Closet: Why it's time for environmentalists to stop worrying and love the atom". Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2012/09/07/out-of-the-nuclear-closet/.[4]: 91
- Lovering, Jessica R.; Yip, Arthur; Nordhaus, Ted (2016). "Historical construction costs of global nuclear power reactors". Energy Policy 91: 371–382. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2016.01.011.[7]
- Lovering, Jessica; Swain, Marian; Blomqvist, Linus; Hernandez, Rebecca R. (2022). "Land-use intensity of electricity production and tomorrow's energy landscape". PLOS One 17 (7). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0270155.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Statement on the Addition of A New Senior Fellow to the Nuclear Innovation Alliance Team". Nuclear Innovation Alliance (NIA) (Press release). 14 April 2025. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
- ↑ "Deep Ecliptic Survey: The Team". Lowell Observatory. http://www.lowell.edu/Research/DES/team.html.
- ↑ Lovering, Jessica (17 December 2020). Evaluating Changing Paradigms Across the Nuclear Industry (Thesis). Carnegie Mellon University.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Tuhus-Dubrow, Rebecca (8 April 2025) (in en). Atomic Dreams: The New Nuclear Evangelists and the Fight for the Future of Energy. Little, Brown. ISBN 978-1-64375-758-2. https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Dreams-Nuclear-Evangelists-Future/dp/1643753150/.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Karma, Rogé (26 May 2024). "Nuclear Energy's Bottom Line" (in en). The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/05/nuclear-power-climate-change/678483/.
- ↑ "Jessica Lovering | Energy for Growth Fellow". https://thebreakthrough.org/people/jessica-lovering.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Plumer, Brad (February 29, 2016). "Why America abandoned nuclear power (and what we can learn from South Korea)". Vox. https://www.vox.com/2016/2/29/11132930/nuclear-power-costs-us-france-korea.
- ↑ Reimers, Andrew (2016-07-12). "A Conversation with Jessica Lovering". Nuclear Newswire. http://ansnuclearcafe.org/2016/07/12/28665/.
- ↑ Roberts, David (21 July 2020). "A women-led, progressive group takes a new approach to nuclear power". Vox. https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2020/7/21/21328053/climate-change-nuclear-power-environmental-justice-energy-collective.
- ↑ Roth, Sammy (May 24, 2021). "California's next climate challenge: Not going nuclear". The Los Angeles Times: p. A9. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-californias-next/181317695/.
- ↑ Webb, Dennis (April 12, 2024). "Nuclear option?". The Daily Sentinel: pp. 1A,8A. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-sentinel-nuclear-option/181316424/.
- ↑ "Jessica Lovering - Google Scholar Citations". https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=G26rp4YAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao.
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