S.J. Quinney College of Law

This year’s symposium “Nuclear Energy: Past, Present, Future?” will address nuclear energy technology and policy in the United States and our home state of Utah.

Opening presentations will consider the nuclear fuel lifecycle and reactor technology, setting the stage for a two-day discussion about potential benefits and costs of nuclear power. The symposium will consider needed legal reforms and the current push for more nuclear, including Operation Gigawatt, proposed nuclear reactors, uranium mining and milling, and nuclear waste storage in Utah.

The program is particularly timely given climate goals, skyrocketing electricity demand from AI, and the federal government’s and Utah’s push for a new nuclear “renaissance.”

Event Pricing: 
Early bird discount for registrations received by March 10.

Law Firm/Private Sector (in-person): $275 early bird | $350 regular rate
Law Firm/Private Sector (virtual): $150

General Public (in-person): $150 early bird | $200 regular rate
General Public (virtual): $100

University/Seniors/Government/Nonprofit (in-person): $100 early bird | $150 regular rate
University/Seniors/Government/Nonprofit (virtual): $75

University Students (in-person): $25
University Students (virtual): $10

Directions: We encourage you to use public transportation to our events. Take TRAX University line to the Stadium stop and walk a half block north. For other public transit options use UTA’s Trip Planner. The law school is on the Red Route for the University’s free campus shuttles (College of Law stop).

Driving instructions are available here: http://law.utah.edu/library/about-the-library/directions/

Parking: Free parking is available at the Rice-Eccles Stadium lot (signs are posted at each entrance to the lot). Please park in any available “A” or “U” permit parking stall in the lot. A moratorium has been placed on the parking lot, so parking is free, and no parking permits are necessary. Do not park at a parking meter, as these stalls will be ticketed.

1. Locate your confirmation email from Zoom and click the “Join Webinar” button.
2. You can join using the Zoom desktop app, mobile app, or directly through your web browser — a Zoom account is not required for attendees.
3. When prompted, enter your name and email address as registered.
4. We recommend installing or updating Zoom ahead of time to ensure the best experience.

• Joining a Zoom webinar as an attendee
• System and browser requirements for Zoom webinars

1. Open slido.com in your browser.
2. Enter the event code “Stegner” which will also be displayed on screen during the presentation.
3. Once redirected, submit your question or participate in session activities.

7:30 a.m. — Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30 a.m. — Welcome

• Elizabeth Kronk Warner, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law

8:45 a.m. — A Brief History of Nuclear Energy (Keynote)

• Thomas Wellock, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (ret.)

9:30 a.m. —  The Nuclear Fuel Lifecycle

• Katy Huff, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering

10:15 a.m. — Break

10:45 a.m. — Nuclear Reactor Technology

• Ted Goodell, University of Utah John and Marcia Price College of Engineering

11:30 a.m. — Stegner Lecture

• Shelley Welton, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School

12:15 p.m. — Lunch

1:15 p.m. — The West’s Nuclear Legacy—Downwinders and Uranium Tailings

• Moderator: Ruhan Nagra, University of Utah J. Quinney College of Law
• Tina Cordova, Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium
• Myrriah Gómez, Southwest Hispanic Research Institute
• Tommy Rock, Northern Arizona University School of Earth and Sustainability
• Deswood Tome, Navajo Nation Council
• Laura Watchempino, Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment

2:40 p.m. — Break

3 p.m. —  Into Eternity (Film Screening)

4:15 p.m. — The Dilemma of Nuclear Waste Disposal

• Moderator: Lincoln Davies, University of Utah S. J. Quinney College of Law
• Kara Colton, Energy Communities Alliance
• Danielle Endres, University of Utah Environmental Humanities Program
• Heather Payne The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
• Bret Randall, Utah Attorney General’s Office

5 p.m. — Day 1 Concludes

8:00 a.m. —  Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30 a.m. — Welcome

8:45 a.m. — The Climate Case on Nuclear Energy

9:30 a.m. — The Abundance Case for Nuclear Power 

• Mark Nelson, The Nuclear Company

10:15 a.m. — Break

10:45 a.m. —  Nuclear Disasters (Keynote)

• Allison Macfarlane, University of British Columbia

12 p.m. — Lunch

1 p.m. — Operation Gigawatt

1:30 p.m. — Fuel Reprocessing

• Bruce Huber, Notre Dame Law School
• Edward McGinnis, Curio Energy

2:15 — Break

2:35 — Nuclear Energy Regulatory Reform

• Moderator TBA
• Stewart Forbes, Hogan Lovells, LLC
• Felix Mormann, Texas A&M University School of Law
• Tara Righetti, University of Wyoming College of Law

3:30 p.m. — Break

3:50 p.m. — Nuclear Energy and Utah’s Future 

• Moderator TBA
• Emy Lesofski (Governor’s Office)
• Kirt Marlow, High Tech Solutions, LLC
• Leona Morgan, Nuclear Issues Study Group and Dine No Nukes
• Lexi Tuddenham, HEAL Utah

5 p.m. — Symposium Concludes

The Stegner Center is pleased to be joined by our friends and local bookseller The King’s English Bookshop at this year’s symposium. The Bookshop is joining us in-person and has put together a full list of books on topics related to the symposium, including several books authored by our speakers.    

Coming soon.

Thoughts? We want to hear them all. We’re excited that you registered for the America’s Public Lands: At a Crossroads? symposium and would like your feedback about the event and for future programming. Please take a moment to complete our short survey.

• Day 1: TBA CLE credits
• Day 2: TBA CLE credits

For additional information on Wallace Stegner, please see recordings from the Stegner Center’s 14th annual symposium, Wallace Stegner: His Life and Legacy.

To learn more about Wallace Stegner, visit the Wallace Stegner Archives, the Wallace Stegner Exhibit and the Wallace Stegner website hosted by the University of Utah Marriott Library.

Watch a KUED documentary about Wallace Stegner.

Watch Wallace Stegner A Writer's Life, narrated by Robert Redford.

Teaching Wallace Stegner: His Life, Legacy and Literary Works
For information on Wallace Stegner and how to include his literary works in the classroom, including connections to the state core curriculum, please visit the Stegner high school teaching resources webpage.